
Glass. 
Book, 



02/LL 



Copyright^ .. 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 




MRS. DELIA H. HORN 



TIMELY AID 



BY 



DELIA H. HORN 




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THE AUSTIN PUBLISHING COMPANY 

ROCHESTER, N. Y. 
MCMIX 






f uv> 



Copyrighted 1909 

by 
Delia H. Horn 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Cooies Received 

JUN 24 1WU» 

//Copyrisnt Entry 
GLASS 0. XXc «,. 

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PREFACE 

This book briefly tells its office, or mission, fn the fol- 
lowing lines : 

Teach me to soothe the .helpless orphan's grief, 
With timely aid the widow's woes assuage, 

To Misery's moaning cries yield relief, 
And be the sure resource of drooping age. 

It would keep before the mind of the reader these 
words of St. James ; "Pure religion and undefiled be- 
fore God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and 
widows in their affliction, and to keep himself un- 
spotted from the world." 

This book is most hopefully addressed to the reader 
who will say : 

Let me be free to scan the universe of life; 
Free from all creeds, church rules and strife ; 
Free to seek in nature's realms of light, 
For truth to guide my wandering steps aright. 



FOREWORD 

IF THE REx\DER of this book is searching only for 
the loftiest thought and noblest sentiment, ex- 
pressed in faultless diction and colored by the 
artistic play of the imagination, he will be disap- 
pointed in the work. There is little or no attempt on 
the part of the author to display her descriptive powers, 
indulge in word-painting, or rise into lofty themes of 
philosophy and speculation. 

The story is a plain narrative taken from the "short 
an,d simple annals of the poor" ; but it is permeated 
throughout with human interest, disclosing, as it does, 
the ever-recurring struggle of human minds and hearts 
against adverse conditions, and weaving into the thread 
of the narration, with deftness and skill, the Charm 
of Romance, the Pathos of Sorrow, the Tragedy of 
Death, the Problem of the After-Life, the Intercom- 
munion of mortals and spirits, and the subject of mag- 
netic and spiritual healing, as re-discovered, practised 
and proclaimed by modern Spiritualism. 

On the historic and logical relations between modern 
Spiritualism and Christian Science, the discussions 
between the leading characters of the book are very 
full, interesting and instructive. In fact, in the whole 
realm of present-day literature the writer knows no 
other work which contains so much of real instructive 
fact and argument on the relations between Christian 
Science and Spiritualism as is presented in this story. 

The narrative is a most valuable one in that it is 
descriptive of the mental evolution through w T hich all 
thinkers of to-day are passing — the slow but sure 



6 TIMELY AID 

emergence of the human mind to-day from Tradition- 
alism into the wider thought and hope of our times. 

This change from the old-time conceptions of life, 
death and the future state to the clearer, wider and 
more scientific views of to-day — from Faith to Knowl- 
edge — is here witnessed in the principal characters of 
the story. 

This book will stimulate thought, promote investi- 
gation and prove, indeed, a "Timely Aid" to multitudes 
in this age of mental unrest. 

Its testimony to the fact and power of metaphysical 
healing is strong and convincing. 

B. F. Austin. 



TIMELY AID 

CHAPTER I. 

"There Is No Death." 

All that's bright must fade, 

The brightest still the fleetest : 
All that's sweet was made 
To be lost when sweetest. 

THESE were the words most bitterly murmured by 
the Rev. John Bell as he stood looking out on 
the fading day. The young man's pale face and 
trembling, clenched hands told plainly that 
something very precious indeed had gone out of his 
life. 

On this damp, cold, dark day his beautiful accom- 
plished and Christian wife had been carried to the 
cemetery on the hill, not far away, and there, by the 
side of father and mother, consigned to her last, long 
resting place. Their many friends had stood sym- 
pathetically and helpfully by in this hour of trial, 
regardless of creed. 

John Bell was a Methodist clergyman, and his wife 
had acted as organist and was one of the shining lights 
in the Church. A brother minister had addressed them 
from the text, "The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken 
away;" often repeating, "Whom the Lord loveth He 
chasteneth." And the white casket bearing within 
God's beautiful, spotless lily had been lowered, never 
more to be seen by those who had adored the still, cold, 
white form within. 



10 TI M ELY AID 

Our young friend had returned, with a few of the 
loving floral gifts, to his desolate home where for two 
happy, cloudless years his girl wife had ever met him 
with sunny smiles. 

His tears ceased to flow, but oh, the pain of that 
heart ! 

"Home! must I call this home?" he resentfully 
moaned. "Everything here speaks of Alice." 

He ceased pacing the floor, and stepped to the 
piano — a reminder of her pretty hand and her bird- 
like voice. Then he gently closed the instrument, think- 
ing "O My God ! I cannot get away from Alice. I 
do not know that I want to. Here upon my feet are 
the slippers her little white hands embroidered for me. 
Kind Clara — God bless the child — sees that I prefer to 
be alone ; so she has placed my supper upon this stand. 
But it's all Alice's hand-painted china and hemstitched 
linen. Even these preserves were prepared by her." 

With the lump in his throat, tea must remain un- 
touched. He turned to the sofa and reverently took in 
his hands the satin pillow with its' wreath of blue for- 
get-me-nots — so delicate, so characteristic, of the wife 
now sleeping up there in the churchyard. 

"Forget-me-nots ! Sweet Alice, I need no such re- 
minder — never, never can I forget you, dear, though I 
live to be three-score and ten. You were my first 
love — my all. I don't know how I am going to live 
without you. 

"They tell me my loss is your gain. Yes ; you have 
gone to be with Jesus — you are now with those many 
dear ones who came beckoning to you in your last, 
hours promising to accompany and to row your frail 
bark over Jordan. But, O Alice, you have left me ! 

Those who have passed through similar experiences 
try to assure me that Time will heal. I wish I could be- 
lieve it." 



TIMELY AID 11 

Thousands have gone through the same heart-break- 
ing that John Bell was suffering. How long, O my 
Heavenly Father, — how long e're this prophecy shall 
be fulfilled: "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is 
death." 

When may we look for the Millennial Dawn, when 
"God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes ; and 
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor cry- 
ing, neither shall there be any more pain : for the for- 
mer things have passed away." 

Rev. John Bell had preached to others and had. 
quoted the words, "The Lord gave and the Lord hath 
taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord." Xow 
he realized the truth of the maxim, "It is easier to 
preach than to practice." Could he in this hour say, 
"God's will be done"? 

Grief had spent itself somewhat and the pastor felt 
it his duty, as had been his custom, to read a passage 
of Scripture and kneel in prayer. 

His head ached. The weary man faintly hoped that 
he might realize the promise, "God giveth His" beloved 
sleep," and he opened the Book at random, trusting to 
meet with something comforting and fitting to the oc- 
casion. 

Then his eyes fell upon these strange words — and 
they were new to him — "God is not the God of the 
dead, but of the living." They were to turn the 
reader's thoughts into a new channel. 

John had always supposed that one must die in order 
to* reach God and Heaven. Yet here it sounded as 
though He were not the God of those who passed 
through death's gateway, but the God of the living. 

It was now morning, and John, in the grip of that 
depression that follows acute suffering, felt too de- 
pressed to reason the point. He rested his aching head 



12 TIMELY AID 

upon his hands, closed his eyes and seemingly fell 
asleep. 

Was he asleep ? How vivid, how real was his dream ! 

He seemed to hear gentle footsteps. Then some one 
came near and bent over him. A sweet, low voice — 
strangely familiar — said, "John, you need not be so 
heavy laden. I have this message for you. A little 
while ago you were somewhat puzzled over a verse of 
Scripture. Dear, it has been demonstrated to me that 
these words of Longfellow are true: 'There is no 
death.' 

"It is just as the Bible declares : 'All live unto Him ;' 
and the words we heard at the grave this afternoon 
are indeed true — 'Death is swallowed up in victory/ 

Then there w r as the rustle of a dress, the door closed, 
and John was alone. 

He opened his eyes and looked about him. Had he 
heard a 'ghost' ? How preposterous ! But the voice he 
had heard; it was a familiar voice — very familiar; but 
it was not, he decided, that of his wife or any other de- 
parted loved one. 

He knew, of course, that all the dead were silent. 
Yet he could not consider the experience a dream. His 
sister-in-law must have been in the room, essaying to 
comfort him. The voice was, somehow, much like 
Tiers. 

Whether real or imaginary, something had exerted 
its consoling, quieting influence upon him ; and for this 
John gave thanks. "The maid is not dead, but sleep- 
•eth," he murmured ; and he no longer mourned as one 
without hope. Timely aid had lifted him where he 
could say and feel, "The kingdom of Heaven is neither 
lo here nor lo there ; the kingdom of Heaven is within 
you." 

But who could have been his consoler? On second 
thought he knew that it could not have been Edward's 



TIMELY AID 13 

wife he had heard quoting Scripture ; for according to 
report, Anna was not a Christian but a woman of the 
world — a skeptic — as was his poor unsaved brother ! 

Brief had been his acquaintance with Anna. Edward 
and she had come from their distant home in Roch- 
ester, N. Y., to attend the funeral of John's wife, whom 
they had never seen in life. Over the form of this 
faded flower they had offered the bereaved brother 
and his motherless babe a home with them. 

The welcome was so earnest and genuine that he had 
accepted it. There seemed to be no alternative. Brother 
Edward was his only near relative. Alone he might 
have fought life's battles without a place to call home; 
but Alice had left this charge — the baby that had been 
the pride and joy of their young lives. The baby must 
have a home ; and so it was decided that Anna should 
be its foster mother. 

Tears of joy and grief had saddened her eyes as, 
clasping the little girl to her heart, she looked back to 
her own home, where she had left a little empty cradle 
and a drawer of carefully folded, dainty garments that 
were once worn by her own baby now dwelling in the 
Summer Land. She lifted her heart in thankfulness to 
God that He had so ordained that supply and demand 
ever wait upon each other. 

Could our young clergyman have read the thoughts 
of his guest, as even his Master read the thoughts of 
the woman he met at the well, his verdict would not 
have been, "She is net a Christian." On the contrary, 
he would have esteemed her as "One who possesses 
a comforting, satisfying religion ; one who continually 
walks out on the promises and sees a silver lining to 
every cloud.'' 

But John Bell was in great ignorance. He was 
reluctant to acknowledge, even to himself, that his 
brother and sister were Atheists, and yet he felt that 



14 TI M ELY AID 

they were. As is often the case, he was entertaining 
angels unawares. 

Was the voice he had heard only a dream? If so, 
from whence had come the clipping he found lying on 
the table? He had never seen it before. It contained 
these words, written by Margaret Richard: 

Two cold hands folded on a breast; 

A silent form laid away to rest; 

A sob, a prayer; God, is it best? 

This is not death. 

A heart toward things it loved grown cold; 
A soul with not the faith of old ; 
A life with worthiness all told. 
This I count death. 

Now did John begin to understand the sense of the 
words — u God is not the God of the dead, but of the 
living." It came to him as a new thought, that it was 
not the death of organic matter that was precious in 
the sight of the Lord ; but that when a man obeyed the 
Scriptural admonition and was found "Dead unto sin 
and alive unto righteousness/' there was the one who 
had experienced a death precious in God's sight. And 
^'precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his 
saints," was not, when taken figuratively, a direct con- 
tradiction to that other verse, "I have no pleasure in 
the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God. 
Wherefore turn yourselves and live ye." 

Not one hour ago we found John wishing that he 
might die and take his place by the side of the dear 
companion. But timely aid has wrought a change ; and 
now he is repeating, in the words of a prophet of old, 
"I shall not die, but live to declare the works of the 
Lord." 

Feeling that his was not a life with the worthiness 
all told, but that God still had a work for him to do, 



TIMELY AID 15 

he carefully moved toward the cradle where lay inno- 
cently and peacefully sleeping the motherless child ; and 
there he tenderly whispered, "Baby, I fancy I hear 
your mamma singing, as I so often have in time past, 
her favorite lullaby: 

Hush, my babe. Lie still and slumber ; 
Holy angels guard thy bed. 

Yes ; someone had sung this little one to sleep that 
very night, not looking upon the words of the song 
as mere sentiment, or as having therein more than a 
blind faith : but trusting with absolute certainty born 
of knowledge and understanding, that holy angels did 
guard that bed. 

The singer had pressed the child to her heart and 
whispered, in accents vibrating with peace, "Little one, 
your Mamma sleeps. But have no fear ; she will — she 
has awakened — from out that strange, deep sleep called 
death. Spirit — the all of man — is immortal ; it can 
never be blotted out of being, or taste one drop of bitter 
death. 

"And, Little Girl, heed what Auntie now tells you. 
Do not grow up repeating the story of life-everlasting, 
simply because others, those in whom you have con- 
fidence — no wiser, perhaps, than yourself on the sub- 
ject — have told it. But 'Prove all things ; hold fast 
that which is good/ Many are ready to say, 'Man lives 
after death/ but few can do as the Bible admonishes: 
*Be ready always to give an answer to every man that 
asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you/ 

"We may say we believe in everlasting life ; but how 
are we to know? 'Seeing is believing'; there is no 
other way. 

"There is no death ; what is so called is but an event 
in our eternal life. Some day all the world will know 
this blessed truth." 



16 TIMELY AID 

CHAPTER II. 
Bereft of Home. 

ABOUT twenty years before this story opens Wil- 
liam Bell, an educated and good though not a 
pious man, and the father of the brothers, John 
and Edward, had seen the advantage of possess- 
ing timber land in northern Michigan, where resided 
his only sister and her family. 

Accordingly, with his wife and two sons, Edward, 
the black-eyed picture of his father, and John, the blue- 
eyed picture of his mother, aged respectively ten and 
fourteen years, Mr. Bell left his home, near Rochester, 
N. Y., for what was then considered "out west." 

One evening the two lads w 7 ere sitting outside the 
door of their rude home. It was a hot, smoky, breezy 
night; no pan of coals was needed to keep away the 
tormenting mosquitoes, for the woods were on fire, 
furnishing plenty of smoke. 

The boys had been assured that the clearing sur- 
rounding them was so large that, with the river be- 
tween, no immediate danger from the raging flames 
need be anticipated. Naturally sympathetic, they felt 
the troubles of others ; and their little hearts weighed 
heavily. 

It was something more to-night than the song of 
the frog or th^ after-effects of ague, that made them 
feel so sad and homesick. At first the burning forest 
had impressed them as something most beautiful to 
gaze upon ; but now, for days the sun had been dark- 
ened, almost hidden, and the blood-red glare of the 
moon seemed to tell a pitiful story of the destruction 
being wrought about them. 



TIMELY AID 17 

The whole neighborhood was in excitement. Within 
a few miles, men, women and children were perishing, 
and whole families were being swept off the earth; 
nothing could be done to save them. A few of the 
settlers were fortunate enough to escape through the 
blinding smoke and over the blistering earth, to find 
refuge in the lakes ; and blood-curdling were the 
stories told of the fate of thousands of animals which 
had been left disfigured and maimed, suffering agonies 
worse than death. To-night the boys were more than 
ever impressed with the unhappiness so near them, for 
they had attended a funeral that afternoon. 

Homes were few and far between, and people living 
five, eight, and even ten miles away were considered 
neighbors. 

One of these neighbors had brought the bones of 
his family in a little box, all that remained of his wife 
and four children, to the church down at the "Cor- 
ners." And the boys had listened to a sermon from the 
text: "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken 
away." They could not drive the man's sad, tearless 
face from their thoughts. 

Although their parents had many times reassured 
them with the words, "There is no danger here," the 
father and mother thought well to take precautions, 
and the observing children could see they were always 
busy doing something that might act as a preventive ; 
such as tearing down fences and covering the hay- 
stack with wet blankets. 

After a long time of silent meditation, Edward broke 
the spell by saving something that was not intended 
to sound irreverent or funny. It came out in his quick, 
impulsive manner: "I believe God is an Indian !" 
Then John, astounded at his brother's ignorance, 
thought he would enlighten him, and he replied : 

"Why, you know the Bible says God was a 'Sheeny.' " 



18 TIMELY AID 

"Do you mean a Jew?" questioned Edward. 
"Yes." 

"That was Jesus — a man of Jerusalem," Edward 
asserted. 

"Well he was God, was'nt he?" 

"Ma thinks so, but Pa says he was'nt ? " Edward re- 
plied. "He did'nt claim to be ; but told the people not 
to bow down to him : 'Why call ye me good ? there is 
none good but one, and that is God.' He often spoke 
of himself as 'The son of man. 7 Pa says he certainly 
was a good example of perfect manhood. Yet when 
men pray to him and say, 'Dear Lord Jesus, do this, 
and do that for us/ they forget that he told us, 'When 
ye pray say : Our Father which art in Heaven/ He 
says they are no nearer right than the Catholics are 
when they pray to the Virgin Mary and the other 
saints. And say! while we're talking; now maybe 
the Catholics do give this woman an awful lot of 
adoration. Probably it is'nt right to worship her ; but 
on the other hand, while Protestants seem to have 
nothing against her, when do we ever go into a 
Protestant church and hear her spoken of? How 
many of their books refer to her? They are all car- 
ried away with her son — I often think of how the 
angels came to Mary and foretold his birth. God must 
have deemed her most worthy. And it may be, if she 
and Joseph had'nt set a good example, and brought him 
up in the way he should go, that boy would'nt have 
been quite so perfect ; though he was without sin, it 
is written. 'He was tempted like as we are/ I love 
the holy mother of Jesus ; but Til never worship either. 

"Pa says he rather admires the Jews for their obedi- 
ence to the first command : 'Thou shalt have no other 
gods before me/ " 

"That's all right," agreed John. "But we can pray 



T I M ELY AID 19 

to Jesus. He tells us, 'Whatsoever things ye ask in my 
name, that shall ye receive/ " 

"Yes ;" said Edward. "One of the names Jesus took 
upon himself was the 'Son of God ;' but he always de- 
clared he was our elder brother, and that we were joint- 
heirs with him. So I, too, am a child of a King. Jesus 
seemed even to have come back from the grave to 
repeat the fact that he was just a man among men, 
that all men were God's children. Telling Mary Mag- 
dalene, 'Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend 
unto my Father and your Father ; and to my God and 
your God/ 

"If you and I were to approach God in the name of 
sons of God, naturally we should expect to receive 
because of this very relationship and 'According to 
your faith be it unto you/ " 

John could see no way of arguing against his 
brother's points, and so, wisely, did not try. 

Then changing the tenor of the conversation, John 
went back, and asked him what he meant by liken- 
ing God to an Indian. 

"'Well/' said Edward, "I thought of it all the while 
the preacher was talking. You remember that squaw 
that came here, and after mother had given her dinner, 
and purchased some of her bead-work, she held out a 
pretty basket and said : 'Here take this, pale face 
squaw, always good and kind to redman's tribe/ 

"Mother was delighted and filled it with her needle- 
work; but the next time the old woman called, right 
before her face and eyes she deliberately emptied that 
basket and took it away. 

"Hannah Bailey was there at the time, and how she 
laughed at poor mother's chagrin ! I remember she 
said : 'Well, Susan Bell, when you have lived among 
the Indians as long as we have you will know their 
ways better. They think nothing of taking back a gift. 



20 TIMELY AID 

One of these good redmen gave my husband a pony 
last summer; but it was only a brief time until the 
giver came and took it away/ " 

Johnny's thoughtful face looked away at the burn- 
ing timber ; he did not like this comparison, and felt it 
imperative to say something in defense of his God. 
Suddenly his face brightened, and with a quick note 
of delight in his voice he exclaimed : 

"I have it ! We would get the exact meaning if it 
read: 'God gave the good and took away the evil." 
Was'nt it St. James who said, 'Every good and perfect 
gift is from above and cometh down from the Father 
of Lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow 
of turning/ God gave that poor man life and happi- 
ness. He did not take away his treasures ; but will 
take from him the sting of death. If God is love, He 
must be ever ready to take sin and suffering out of our 
lives ; but nothing else." 

Compared with that of a child, man's philosophy is 
often very lame. "Verily, a little child shall lead them." 

While Edward never forgot John Bell in after years, 
we regret that he lost sight of the fact that God was 
the author of peace only. 

"If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the 
ditch." The church has blinded many. 

Our little boys were at last weary enough to accept 
of their bed and sleep. Early next morning they heard 
their mother's cheerful voice calling, "Wake up, chil- 
dren, and see it rain. God has answered our prayers 
at last; and if only this rain keeps on pouring, this 
fearful destruction of. life and property will soon end." 

A few minutes later they were blinded by a chain of 
lightning and deafened by a clap of most terrific thun- 
der. 

The father was out attending to the chores, and 
when the first awful shock was over and they found 



TIMELY AID 21 

voice, some one tremblingly exclaimed, "Oh, we must 
look and see if the barn was struck!" 

The mother sprang through the door, only to fall 
by the side of her husband's prostrate form at the 
foot of the steps. 

The lightning had not harmed either the house or 
barn, but it had done its deadly work on the mortal 
form of this most kind and indulgent father. 

Whether it was lightning which also killed the 
mother, or whether the sudden shock of her loss caused 
the frail, delicate woman's heart to cease beating, no 
one ever knew. 

As no answer came from either and both were deaf 
to the appeals of their crying children, hope left them 
at last and the bitter fact dawned upon them that their 
parents were dead. 

The children's fears were confirmed ; the hearts had 
ceased their beating, and the forms were growing cold. 

For days they had prayed for rain. Tell us, was 
this answer to prayer? The rainbow with its seven 
beautiful colors spanned the sky ; but it seemed only 
to mock them. They could not accept it as the "bow 
of promise." 

Never was there a truer saying, "We do not miss the 
water until the well runs dry." These thoughtless boys, 
who, like other children, had at times shown disposi- 
tions headstrong, selfish and quarrelsome, never until 
this hour had realized how much their parents were to 
them. To say which was the dearer to them would 
have been impossible — the father, to whom they had 
looked up with feelings of admiration and pride — and 
he merited it — or the precious mother at whose knee 
they had been taught to repeat the psalms, prayers and 
hymns. 

This mother "who had kissed away all their little 
hurts and cared for their every want so uncomplain- 



22 TIMELY AID 

ingly, was soon to be put out of their sight where 
they could never see her again. What a dreadful 
thought. 

As they sat on the ground by their dead, the old 
black cat came and rubbed against them, and mourn- 
fully purred as though she would speak her sympathy. 

At last the boys bethought themselves to arise, go 
through the wood-path, to the nearest neighbor's, a 
mile away, and inform these kind people of what had 
happened. 



TIME L Y AID 23 



CHAPTER III. 
The Funeral. 

THE greenhouse carnations, ferns and roses that 
in later years adorned the white velvet, satin- 
lined casket of John Bell's wife were no more 
beautiful, nor did they voice one particle more 
of heart-felt love than did the wildflowers and wood- 
ferns gathered and arranged by the women and chil- 
dren of that wild country for the plain black coffin of 
John Bell's mother. Every flower was wet with tears. 

A neighbor's wagon, drawn by oxen, carried the 
rough-boxes made by loving hands, over the corduroy 
road to the new church three miles away, at Stafford's 
Corners, where there was a community that could not 
boast of an undertaker, a doctor or a lawyer. 

There were just two men of importance living at 
the Corners — the minister and the storekeeper. 

The storekeeper, Joe Stafford, was the children's 
uncle by marriage. He was the superintendent of the 
Sunday-school, the class-leader, and had great influence 
in any thing pertaining to the church or to the Corners. 

Uncle Joe, either for his own comfort or for that 
of some one present, kept quoting Scripture : "All 
his righteousness that he hath done shall not be men- 
tioned : in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in 
his sin that he hath sinned, and in them shall he die." 
And then he would comment, "This man's sudden call 
should be a warning to the unsaved in this community." 
And when the church was reached, the minister 
seemed to take up the refrain. Every word of the long 
sermon was lost to the ears of John, who sat through- 



24 TI M ELY AID 

out the service bitterly weeping ; and had it' been like- 
wise unheeded by the elder brother, who sat so still, 
cold and motionless, perhaps it would have been better. 
But down throughout all the coming years, there came 
resounding, whenever Edward would allow it, the 
thundering voice of the preacher of that day as he 
stood and expounded the awful doctrine of an endless 
punishment and a burning hell. 

"Although,'' said the man of God, "this is the sad 
occasion of a double funeral, as the paths of this father 
and mother now lead in separate directions it is but 
fitting that we should choose two texts — one applying 
to the sister whose loss we all deplore, and the other 
t£> the man to whom she was united. Every Christian 
here hopes and prays that these children will ever re- 
member the precepts and example of their saintly 
mother, who, we are proud to say, was a member of 
our church. 

"We hope that in this case 'the sins of the father 
will not be visited upon the children, even to the third 
and fourth generation.' 

"As said before ? the Lord directs me to the choosing 
of two texts. Why? Sister Bell was a member of 
our church, and had accepted Jesus ; while her com- 
panion, we are grieved to say, rejected Him who had 
died upon the Cross.' 1 

This so-called man of God was so eager to proceed 
with the text and the two-hour sermon he had prepared 
in memory of this unsaved man, that he forgot en- 
tirely to announce the other text or to spend any fur- 
ther time in paying tribute to the children's Christian 
mother. After the preliminaries had been said, he pro- 
ceeded to speak, exemplifying the text, "The Lord 
cometh as a thief in the night." 

The whole sermon consisted of warnings to be saved 
just now; not to indulge in procrastination; not to fol- 



TI M ELY AID 25 

low in the footsteps of this wicked man, etc. The 
sermonizer lacked anything like an extensive vocab- 
ulary, or a knowledge of the laws of rhetoric and 
composition ; but that would have counted as nothing 
had he not also lacked the three graces, Faith, Hope, 
and Charity, and especially Charity, 

Edward longed to silence him — to get up and tell 
the people what a good man his father had always 
been ; but he knew he would not be granted a hear- 
ing, so all he could do was to sit in his seat, bite his 
lips and press his finger nails into his flesh. The 
preacher had declared that their father denounced the 
Bible. What a libel ! He had heard his father say in 
the presence of Elder Smith, that in his opinion there 
was nothing to be produced, either in ancient or in 
modern literature, that could excell a few of the 
Psalms of David or Christ's Sermon on the Mount, 
the latter of which was a good enough creed for him. 
He had declared that their father rejected Jesus, when 
to this very speaker, he had heard his father express 
himself as follows : "Undoubtedly Jesus was the very 
best man that ever lived." Now, what more could one 
man say of another ? 

It was really more than the child could bear to sit 
and quietly listen to this leader of the people standing 
over the remains of his dead father and sending him 
directly down to the infernal regions, and he hoped, 
in his youthful wrath and indignation, that if there 
was such a place, the speaker might very soon find it. 
But gradually the fierce bitterness left his heart, as he 
seemed to hear the gentle voice of his mother reading, 
in accents low, the story of the martyred Stephen, and 
his last, his dying words. 

Oh, the example of this holy man of whom it is 
written, when the people were stoning him to death 
because his beliefs differed from theirs : "He kneeled 



26 TIMELY AID 

down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this 
sin to their charge, and when he had said this he fell 
asleep 1" 

This example of apostolic forgiveness came as timely 
aid, and quieted the raging tempest within ; but there 
were many tempests yet to follow. 

The angel mother would guard him through all ; 
for it is written, "He shall give his angels to keep thee 
in all thy ways." St. Paul, speaking of the angels in 
Heaven said : "Are they not all ministering spirits sent 
forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salva- 
tion." 

As Edward followed the loved ones to the grave, 
he could plainly hear the spirit's ministering voice 
whispering, "Weep not, my child; father and mother 
are not there." 

Her mother heart is warm as yore 
When dwelling on the old earth shore ; 
Yes, stronger still appears her love 
Since she has passed to spheres above. 

And mother's heart, with love so warm, 
Will fly to you in life's cold storm; 
And as she watched in days of yore, 
She'll watch your progress ever more. 



TIMELY AID 27 



CHAPTER IV. 
A Place Called Home. 

AFTER the funeral the children's uncle informed 
them that henceforth they were to make their 
home with him. 

He had a family of his own, and with this 
added expense to him they must not expect to live 
in idleness. John was so small he might attend school 
for a while yet, but Ed was of proper age to go to 
work. 

Without further delay, he secured a place for this 
boy down at the sawmill, and kept him employed dur- 
ing the evenings, chopping firewood or waiting on 
customers in the store. Up at five, and to bed at ten, 
w r as indeed quite a change for this frail boy, who 
never before had been called upon to tax his strength 
or to shoulder a single responsibility. 

The children's Aunt Kate was naturally most kind 
and sympathetic • but she was one of those good wives 
who never venture to say that their soul is their 
own, but are entirely under subjection. She was never 
allowed to forget such verses of Scripture as, "Let the 
women keep silence in the churches, and if they would 
know any thing, let them ask of their husbands at 
home," and "Let her adorning not be that outward 
adorning, of plaiting the hair and of wearing of gold, 
or of putting on of apparel. '" 

Kate since her marriage had never been adorned 
with jewels, ribbons, flowers or independence. 

Her husband could always meet you with the Bible 
text. Once, when he had been cruelly beating one of 
the children with the stove poker, she ventured to 



28 TIMELY AID 

remonstrate, but he replied, "Thou shalt rule with a 
rod of iron/ 7 

To-night they were having a husking-bee over at 
Spencer's, and Aunt Kate innocently dropped in and 
watched the young people dance to the tune of the 
fiddle playing "The Irish Jig" and "The Girl I Left 
Behind Me." This was a form of amusement in which 
she had indulged during earlier years. Her pleasant 
evening terminated with a strong reprimand from her 
husband, who demanded, "Would you run the risk 
of losing your chances of Heaven?" 

Edward thought the proper time had come to quote 
Scripture, and he repeated, "There is a time to weep 
and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to 
dance." 

"Who told you to speak?" shouted his uncle. "Go 
on to bed — without your supper !" 

When he found there his little brother in tears, 
and learned that he, too, had been sent to bed without 
a mouthful, simply because he had played ball in- 
stead of hastening to John Snyder's grass-widow with 
one of those intrusted notes, he just felt that it was 
more than he could stand ; and he resolved that some 
day he would get even. 

The next evening at the church social, as Mrs. Staf- 
ford jealously watched her husband finding so many 
precious opportunities to kiss and embrace pretty 
Myrtle Snyder and the other girls, while playing such 
harmless games as the "needle's eye" and "blind-man's 
buff," she could not help questioning whether the 
dance had been a thing any worse. Think not that all 
these little things were lost to the bright eye of Ed- 
ward Bell. 

They always had "family worship" at Uncle Joe's, 
and never did he hear him praying for the poor and 
needy that he did not remember the shortage of weight 



T I M ELY AID 29 

in the farmer's wife's butter, and the sand so slyly 
mixed into the brown sugar that was to be weighed 
and given in return — a thing his father, bad as he was, 
would have blushed to have done. 

Edward's first great offense was to stay away from 
church and Sunday-school ; and when he was ques- 
tioned as to the reason, he promptly replied, "Went 
fishing." This, of course, was unpardonable; and 
figuratively speaking, our bad boy was given a good 
shaking-up over the red-hot coals. 

His griefs were making him rebellious, and he said 
in answer to his uncle's questioning: "I might be 
more particular, perhaps, about keeping the Sabbath 
if I only knew which was the right day — the seventh 
day of the week or the first day. Adventists tell us 
that Saturday is the Lord's Day, and that the Catholics 
had no right to change it." 

Then his uncle in reply thundered, "Don't talk to 
me about the Adventists. They are not even law-abid- 
ing citizens, and it would serve them right if they 
were driven out of every town, tarred and feathered." 

"But," he proceeded, "I know something more about 
yeu, young man. I came across some dime novels, 
a pack of cards, and a package of tobacco hidden in 
the hay ; and Will tells me they are yours. I believe 
more in persuasion than in prohibition ; but if that 
won't do the work, we have to try the next best thing. 
I have destroyed them." 

"Sir," exclaimed Edward, indignantly, "Will knows 
who those things belong to; they were never mine." 

"Don't you dare to insinuate," cried his uncle, "that 
my boy lies. And if he did become intoxicated on 
the jug of communion wine, you led him into it. Xo ; 
my boy did not lie about this. He is a Christian." 

"Ha, ha! a chip of the old block," said Edward; 



30 TIMELY AID 

and for this jibe the impudent boy received a stagger- 
ing blow that made him see stars. 

The following Sunday found him obediently in his 
place in the Sunday-school class. With bitterness in 
his heart he listened to the cottage organ. Once it had 
belonged to his mother ; she was one of the few in that 
community who had possessed indications of better 
days — such as silverware, easy rockers, a sewing 
machine and this organ. How did the church come by 
the organ? His uncle had presented it and received a 
vote of thanks for the gift. But then, even the church 
itself was stolen property. Had he not heard his 
father tell how this church was erected? It had been 
contributed to by people coming from various and 
numerous organizations, with the understanding that 
it was to be in effect a Union church. But when the 
day of dedication had come the presiding elder was 
there, and the building was dedicated in the name of 
Methodism. If some of its most liberal donators had 
desired a speaker of their own denominations there, 
the Methodists would have locked the doors. As for 
the rest of William Bell's personal and real estate, 
whatever their uncle did not desire to keep, he had 
sold at auction ; and Edward had faintly hoped that the 
stock and other things would bring enough so that he 
might take his little brother and return to their eastern 
home, feeling confident that he would there find friends 
and employment. 

Edward looked forward to growing tall and strong, 
able to care for and educate John. But he was 
doomed to disappointment. Uncle Joe deposited the 
proceeds into the depths of his own pocket, and also 
the proceeds from the lumber, as it was taken from 
their father's acres. He explained to his wife that now 
he was the boy's guardian ; later, when they should 
become of age, of course they would have it all back. 



TIMELY AID 31 

On this particular Sunday, Edward discussed the 
lesson more thoroughly than usual. He commented 
on the verse : "I form the light and create darkness, 
I make peace and create evil ; I, the Lord, do all these 
things." 

"It doesn't seem to me," said the boy, "that God 
would boast of having created evil, and to claim that 
He did create it, is to go back on the first chapter of 
Genesis, where it is written : 'God looked upon all 
that He had made, and behold it w T as very good, and 
His w r ork was finished.' 

"Now this is the way I look at it," continued the boy. 
"We know that the good in Christianity will set house- 
holds at variance ; for Jesus said, 'Think not that I have 
come to bring peace on the earth, but a sword' ; and . 
nevertheless He deserves the title 'Prince of Peace.' 
When the Wesleys and other circuit riders, for exam- 
ple, went into a community and preached, the good 
aroused the antagonistic spirit, and they were 
stoned, rotten-egged, etc. ; as were also Luther and his 
followers, and the peaceful Quakers and others. But I 
must say I do not believe that God ever created evil." 

"God certainly created all things," replied his teach- 
ed. "And I must reprove you for not taking the Bible 
as it reads. I would rather never exercise my reason- 
ing powers, than to be guilty of doubting one word 
contained in that blessed Book. We have no right to 
place our own interpretation upon this divinely inspired 
work. Some things we cannot quite understand, but 
they belong to the mysteries of godliness." 

"Well, it is my desire to understand the Scriptures," 
asserted our young philosopher ; and then he pro- 
pounded another question : "Now I cannot under- 
stand why, if Jesus was God come down to earth, He 
reproved the people by saying : 'Why call ye me good? 
there is but one good and that is God.' ' 



32 TIMELY AID 

The teacher explained, to his own satisfaction if not 
to the boy's, "Jesus answered his own question: 'Be- 
cause there is but one good, and that is God/ " How 
inconsistent ! Doing just what he had a moment before 
condemned in his pupil. 

Before the discussions were finished, Edw T ard made 
an unwise announcement. 

Their father had now been dead more than a year, 
and the boy could speak of him without blinding tears. 

"I believe/' he said, "as my father used to say : 
'While the Bible contains much truth, it is possible that 
it also contains some error/ " 

At this the teacher turned upon him : "Never men- 
tion to me again your father's infidel beliefs — especially 
not in the presence of my young class. Evidently you 
are inclined to tread in his footsteps ; and unless you 
accept of a change of heart, and receive the new birth, 
I fear you will go to that same place." 

The boy ? in his injured rage, would have struck his 
teacher, but there came to him timely aid ; he seemed to 
feel the gentle but firm clasp of his mother's hand and 
to hear her sweet voice remonstrating. "My child, re- 
member the time and place. Remember your good 
teacher's honorable gray hairs, and have respect for old 
age, at least." 

During the long winter evenings there were held 
revival or protracted meetings. Will and other "back- 
sliders" made a fresh start in religion, renewing their 
vows ; and little John went forward with the other con- 
verts, influenced by the shouting, moaning, clapping of 
hands and earnest pleading to "come and be washed in 
the blood of the Lamb." The congregation made the 
meeting-house ring, as midst "Aniens" and "Hallelu- 
jas" they joyously sang: 



TIMELY AID 33 

Oh, I feel so happy I would like to shout; 
Religion has turned me inside out. 
There's a long white robe on the golden strand — 
Lord, I'll be there when the great day comes. 

But our young, hardened sinner was not hypnotized 
into seeking God's pardon at the anxious seat and the 
mourner's bench. Nor was he influenced by the sing- 
ing of such beautiful and inspiring hymns as : 

Stop, poor sinner, stop and think 

Before you farther go. 
Can you sport upon the brink 

Of everlasting woe? 
Hell beneath is gaping wide, 

Vengeance waits the dread command, 
Soon to stop your sport and pride, 

And sink you with the damned. 

Chorus. 

Then be entreated now to stop, 

For unless you warning take, 
E're you are aware, you'll drop 

Into a burning lake. 

Uncle Joe always made the longest speeches and 
repeated the loudest prayers. Usually his talks were 
on such topics as, "It is easier for a camel to go through 
the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into 
the kingdom of God" ; and Edward felt like putting the 
satirical question, "Why then are you so anxious to be- 
come rich, even at the expense of your own soul ?" 

The boy felt proud that his deceased father was, 

, educationally, ahead of the community in which he 

lived, and that he could have told these people that in 



34 TI M ELY AID 

the days when this saying originated, the people used 
a kind of rope called camel, which was so large that it 
was difficult to thread it ; and that they also had a gate- 
way in the walls of Jerusalem called the "Needle's 
Eye/' through which a camel could, by kneeling, pass, 
though it was done with difficulty. Jesus' comparison 
then, meant no impossible thing ; simply that a rich man 
did not find it easy to enter Heaven. 

This bright son of William Bell had been a regular 
church attendant ; but he began to grow sick, tired and 
disgusted with it all. His new home was becoming 
more and more disagreeable and unbearable. Had it 
not been for littlel Johnny, he would have contemplated 
running away. 



TIMELY AID 35 

CHAPTER V. 
The Parting. 

THE Universalists in and near Stafford's Corners 
having been once refused the use of the "Union 
church" as a place for worship, made another 
start, raised money and erected the second 
church ; taking precaution this time not to lose their 
edifice. 

The activity of this body had the effect of making 
Uncle Joe very angry. Edward, more to annoy his 
uncle than for any other reason, one Sunday evening 
attended the service at the new church. 

The speaker chose his text from the Book of 
Psalms : "The desire of the wicked shall perish." He 
told his hearers that the history of his church dated 
back to a sermon preached by the Rev. John Murray, 
in the state of New Jersey, in the year 1770, and that 
the first society was organized in the state of Massa- 
chusetts, in the year 1779. Originally, explained the 
minister, it was maintained that all punishments inflict- 
ed upon sinful men were confined to this life. This 
was not believed in these days. The speaker continued : 

"On the contrary, it is now admitted that the conse- 
quences of sin unrepented and unforsaken will — must — 
follow man into the future world; and that not until 
the desire of the wicked perisheth and he maketh com- 
pliance with the terms of salvation, can he hope to es- 
cape the consequences. Therefore, Orthodoxy is not 
justified in asserting that Universalism is a license to 
sin. 

"It certainly is not necessary that the man should 
be doomed to annihilation and perish with his sin. In 



36 TIMELY AID 

God's all-wise plan, all that is necessary is that the de- 
sire of the wicked should perish. 

"Even here upon earth we may experience hell, and 
we may escape therefrom, too, if we so desire. The 
Psalmist had not died and left this world when he 
said, 'I cried from the depths of hell and God heard 
me/ 

"We have the assurance, 'Before God every knee 
shall bow and every tongue shall confess/ This univer- 
sal salvation necessitates probation after the change 
called death. 

"There is a glorious gospel of joy and Heaven for all, 
and sorrow and hell for none ; and' such is the one we 
here present. It would not be the gospel if it taught 
anything else ; for the meaning of the word is good- 
spell. We are free moral agents, and sometime, some- 
where, we will choose to turn from our sins. If there 
is a hell, according to the Revelator's vision, it is not to 
be of eternal duration: 'And death and hell were cast 
into the lake of fire/ 

"God is Love. It is not His purpose that one 
should be lost — and there is no power able to thwart the 
Omnipotent in His purpose. 

"People talk of eternal damnation. Time is against 
it. God and the Divine law are against it. As our text 
declares, the desire of the wicked shall perish. Now, 
it may be that with some of us, that desire for the so- 
called pleasures of sin will not be given up until after 
we have reached the Great Beyond. But even there 
'God's hand is not shortened that it cannot save.' That 
parable where the Heavenly Father is likened to a good 
shepherd who, though he had ninety-and-nine safe and 
secure, would not rest until he had brought the last one 
safely into the fold, belongs to those religionists who 
teach universal salvation." 



TIMELY AID 37 

For the first time in his life Edward had listened to 
preaching with which he could agree. 

In spite of the "better bringing up" his Uncle Joe 
gave him, these liberal views followed him; and in 
after years when the brothers had grown to manhood 
and drifted apart, he wrote the following letter to his 
ministerial brother: 

You know my views on religion. You know that ever since 
I was a boy, I have declared that, taking the Bible as a whole, 
it could not be what you pronounce it to be — the inspired 
Word of God. 

No ; I cannot regard the Bible as being infallible, though I 
will not say but that the greater portion of this Book of 
Books is God-inspired. 

I believe that those parts thereof that inspire the reader 
and are found demonstrable, were written by inspiration. 
But the whole book does not stand this test. The man who 
wrote, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose 
mind is stayed on thee" was undoubtedly God-inspired, or in- 
spired by good. 

Now, my wife, Anna, and I have no conflicting theories. 
We are agreed in all things ; our views are very harmonious. 
Do not misunderstand, dear brother; we have faith in God 
and a hereafter. We do not ignore Jesus as a brother, friend, 
leader, but we do classify among the greatest humbugs, this 
- belief in a personal devil, a literal hell, the fall of man in the 
Garden of Eden, and redemption through the vicarious atone- 
ment; and we cannot feel at home in any church that teaches 
otherwise. 

I sincerely hope, my dear, conscientious Christian brother, 
that the day will soon come when your spiritual eyes will 
open and you will see these things in their true light. 

When he read this, poor John was affected as he 
would have been had a piece of ice been applied to his 
spine. 



38 TIMELY AID 

Surely, he thought, something must be done or his 
brother would be eternally lost. And he groaned aloud 
with mingled feelings of horror and pity, as he thought 
of him being united to a woman believing in a doctrine 
such as that. He threw this epistle into the fireplace, 
for his good wife, Alice, must remain in ignorance of 
this awful fact; and then he prayed, loud, long and 
earnestly, for this man and woman so far from Christ : 

"God, wilt Thou not in mercy save them from the 
wrath to come, where the worm dieth not and the fire is 
not quenched/' 

And that his brother's terrible wish should ever be 
fulfilled, that he, too, should likewise lose faith in the 
Adamic pollution and the redeeming blood of Jesus — 
God forbid ! 

Having no faith in a personal devil and a literal hell, 
was not this equivalent to having no belief at all ? This 
must ever be the burden of his prayer, he decided. 

The brothers' ways were far apart. 

Here we are reminded of that good, old-time minis- 
ter's preaching in denunciation of Universalism. 

"O my brethren," said he, "Beware ! Beware of 
wolves in sheeps' clothing. 

"There has sprung up amongst us in these latter days 
an unbelieving sect known as Universalists. They teach 
that all men will eventually be saved and get into 
Heaven ; but blessed be the name of the Lord, dear 
brethren, we hope for better things." 

When Edward and John were left orphans, among 
the few things they were allowed to keep from home 
was their mother's Bible and the books belonging to 
their father. Paine's and Ingersoll's works were 
among them. John had carefully treasured the Bible 
and Edward had taken the other books. 

One Sunday evening Edward exasperated his uncle 
by allowing him to see him reading these "works of 



TIMELY AID 39 

the devil." When reprimanded, the boy was so fear- 
lessly outspoken and sarcastic that the man shook him 
roughly and shouted, "I will soon put an end to your 
poisoning your brain with such as this. Nice things 
for your father to leave you !" And then, suiting the 
action to the word, he quickly snatched the books, ran 
out to an old, abandoned well, and flung them in, as he 
said, "so deep they could never be resurrected." 

Edward, picking up his uncle's wellworn Bible, fol- 
lowed and flung it in after his own books, crying, 
"You old hypocrite ! You can have no less respect for 
my book that I entertain for yours." 

Joe Stafford then commanded him to leave the 
house and never to darken his door again, calling him 
"an ungrateful wretch," and using language very pro- 
fane. 

Edward went to the attic, awoke John and told him 
of the quarrel and of how he had been driven from 
home. 

"O Johnny," he said, "I would be glad to go ; I 
would not care, if only I might take you with me. But 
I do not see how I can. Don't cry, Johnny, I can't 
bear it. We'll soon be together again. I am almost 
sixteen now. If they are ever unkind to you and you 
need me, you know I would wade through fire and 
deep water to help you. Cheer up ! I shall write often, 
in care of some of the boys, so that he cannot keep 
news of me from you. Be good, and believe in God — 
if you find it any comfort. I only believe in the 
Mighty Atom." 

Edward had somewhere heard the term "Mighty 
Atom," applied to the First Great Cause, and as he 
felt just now as if he wanted to give up God, he 
thought he would make use of it. 

He left his brother with a parting embrace. His 
Aunt Kate cautiously met him at the corner of the 



40 TIMELY AID 

house, and slipped into his hands a package of appe- 
tizing food and all her money — a fifty-cent piece. 
Then with tears in her voice, she gave him a parting 
kiss, sobbing, "My brother's boy ! God be with you 
till we meet again." 

And covering her face with her apron, the good 
woman wept bitterly. 



TIMELY AID 41 



CHAPTER VI. 
Out on the Cold World. 

THERE had been a week of weary tramping and 
sleeping in barns. It was in the latter part of 
winter — a cold and stormy day. The snow was 
deep in drifts. Eddie's feet were sore from 
walking. His money was gone ; and faint and hungry, 
too proud to beg, he was physically exhausted as he 
sat by the road. 

His body grew gradually insensible to pain, as he 
sank easily to sleep. And as he slept, he seemed to 
hear the words : "God will give his angels charge over 
thee lest thou dash thy foot against a stone." Then it 
was as though he were picked up and carried on in his 
father's strong arms, while just ahead, leading the 
way, he could see his mother's well remembered form 
— not speaking a word, but gliding over the sparkling 
snow to a light flickering in a farm house window. 

When he awoke, he discovered himself lying on a 
comfortable bed, and he could hear the gentle voice 
of a woman saying to some one, "Husband, I believe 
he will live ; and I am glad we were privileged to open 
our door and take him in. I have often wondered 
whether any one watched over my young soldier 
brother when he lay dying of fever in the South ; and 
every time I have looked at this poor boy, I have 
thought of that soldier song, 'Somebody's Darling/ ' 

When Edward was convalescent, one Sunday morn- 
ing, they announced that they would leave him in care 
of their little daughter, and drive to church. 

After they had gone, he turned to Amy and asked, 
"What church do your people belong to?" 



42 TIMELY AID 

He had made up his mind that these good Samari- 
tans were not Methodists. He thought they obeyed 
the Scriptures : "Let your light so shine before men 
that seeing your good works they may glorify your 
Father which is in Heaven." 

But Amy replied, with pride in her voice, "Why, 
we are Methodists. To what church do you belong?" 

Edward felt rebellious, and, never lacking for an- 
swer, he told her he belonged to "the rebels." And as 
soon as he had said he was a "rebel," he relieved his 
feelings by repeating some very harsh things about 
Methodism and Methodists in general. 
* Amy listened; then she replied: "You know there 
was a Judas even among the Master's immediate fol- 
lowers ; and you musn't keep watching the church 
members. Keep your eye more steadfastly fixed on 
Jesus — that's the way to do ! 

"Once I brought my writing book home, and mam- 
ma criticised it. We found the writing at the bottom 
of the page far from good. 

"When beginning to write the page, I had looked 
closely at my perfect copy; but I grew away from it 
and was guided more by imperfect work. 

"Mamma used it as an illustration. She said we are 
all writers in the Book of Life. 

"But in our journey we are prone to wander from 
God; and because we make the mistake of looking 
away from the perfect guide, our pages become dis- 
figured and blotted. Have you never met any good 
Methodists ?" 

Edward feared he had incurred her displeasure, and 
he felt very much ashamed of himself. 

"Yes," he quickly replied. "My mother was a 
Methodist, and so was grandfather. And Aunt Kate — 
as good a woman as ever lived — is a Methodist." 

He tried to make amends by assuring Amy that he 



TIMELY AID 43 

would always entertain the greatest respect for her 
parents. 

His friends always held family prayer. But what a 
difference there was between their sincere hearts and 
the hypocrisy he had known ! They selected such com- 
forting psalms as the one beginning, "Fret not thyself 
because of evildoers/' 

Under tender nursing Edward rapidly gained health 
and strength. 

His benefactor had offered him a home and said that 
he might, after thorough recovery, help on the farm. 
'But the boy had now suffered nearly three years of 
homesickness and did so long for a sight of the York 
state hills that, as soon as he felt able to travel, he pre- 
pared to continue his journey. It troubled him that 
he had no money with which to pay these kind people 
for board, nursing and clothing ; but he gratefully vol- 
unteered to send to them the full amount due, as soon 
as he could get to the city and earn it. They smiled 
cheerily and assured him that they considered they had 
only done their duty. 

As he was about to leave, Edward took something 
wrapped in a piece of red flannel out of his pocket, ten- 
derly caressed it, and then offered it to Mrs. Foote, as 
payment, in part, at least, for what she had done for 
him. He told her that this beautiful gold watch and 
chain had belonged to his mother ; but that as she cer- 
tainly had been a second mother to him he wished her 
to have it. Seeing her hesitation, for she realized that 
it must be a dear keepsake, he put his arm around her 
neck — big boy though he was — and urged and insisted 
that she accept it. 

Charles Foote was a poor, hard working farmer, but 
with his goodby he placed in Edward's hands, three sil- 
ver dollars. They were accepted as a loan. His bene- 
factors told him that he was now only fifteen miles 



44 TIMELY .AID 

north of Detroit, and advised him to take passage by 
boat, as it would be cheaper than traveling by rail. 
Like Aunt Kate, Mrs. Foote remembered to furnish 
him with a package of edibles. 

As one of the neighbors was driving into Detroit 
with produce that night, Edward was furnished a ride. 
As far as he could see ? he watched little Amy waving 
her handkerchief, and a feeling of loneliness crept over 
him as he realized that he was again out upon the cold 
world. 



TIMELY AID 45 

CHAPTER VII. 
The Welcome. 

AS our boy sat on the dock waiting for the steamer 
to move out, he tried to forget the parting from 
brother, aunt and kind friends in looking for- 
ward to the near future, when he should meet 
old neighbors. There was his especial chum, Homer 
Elliott; and Anna Lee — the little fairy — how often he 
had thought of her ! She had cried when he went to 
Michigan, and they had promised each other their 
photos as soon as they should have them taken. But 
her mamma was a dressmaker, and a widow, so prob- 
ably Anna hadn't yet seen the money with w T hich to 
fulfill her promise. He wondered whether she still 
lived on their street, and would she be delighted over 
his return ? And there was his old dog Fido — Homer 
was keeping him for him — here was one, at least, 
that he felt very confident would welcome him joyfully. 
And the boy soliloquised "What though I haven't 
any relatives there? I wouldn't trade my playmate 
Fido, for a dozen cousins like Will. 

"I have quite a few second cousins right there in 
Buffalo, but I don't believe I'll stop over to hunt them 

44 A fellow hain't alone in the world when he owns a 
dog like Fido — the dear old shepherd ! We never 
ought to have left him. Didn't he save me from 
drowning once? Oh, but won't he jump and bark and 
kiss me ! I wish I had my arms around his neck now." 

And then, recollecting how very little currency he 
possessed, he began to have misgivings whether he had 
sufficient to purchase a ticket, even at half fare ; and if 



46 TIMELY AID 

not, what should he do ? Perhaps it would be wise to ( 
postpone his journey to Rochester, find employment in 
Detroit, and remain there for a time. 

But when it suddenly occurred to him that Detroit 
was in Michigan, he refused to contemplate even a 
brief sojourn there; and he shook his head decidedly, 
saying : 

"There are no self-made men in Michigan, I don't 
believe. Til not stay over night in this state even if I 
have to swim the river over into Canada. What 
though that country is under despotic government, and 
filled mostly with French, Irish and Scotch Cath- 
olics? I'll bet its preferable to Michigan. I know of 
only one thing worse than a Michigander, and that's a 
Methodist." 

The poor boy put Methodism and Michigan down as 
being closely related ; he had seen so much trouble in 
both. "Yes," said he, "they must be at least half- 
brothers." 

He had learned from experience, that traveling with- 
out money was far from pleasant, and he found himself 
wishing that he possessed that undoubting faith of his 
mother, let it be Methodism or whatever it was. In 
every emergency, she always hopefully said, "The Lord 
will provide." 

While he sat there among strangers, lost in thought, 
some one tapped him on the shoulder, saying : "Ex- 
cuse me, lad, but yer face is strangely fermilier. Be- 
gorry ! I do believe ye are that boy of William Bell's 
and no mistake ! 

"Didn't ye used to live in Rochester, or thereabouts, 
and wasn't your father a contractor and builder?" 

Edward's face lightened with happiness. 

"Yes," he said, "did you know my father?" He 
doubted not that he had found a friend — some one from 
York state. 



TIMELY AID 47 

"Know yer father? Bless yer heart, I should say I 
did ! Never knew a man better. I am Tom Gor- 
man, and used to lay all the chimneys for that fine 
fellow. Never have had such a boss before nor since. 
Where is your pa now ?" 

"We moved to northern Michigan and I am sorry to 
tell you my father is dead — so is mother — and I am 
now on my way home," said Edward. 

"Dead? Oh, ye don't say so? Poor soul! Indade, 
but Tom knows how to pity ye. I lost me own father 
and mother and all me blood and kin, when I was a lit- 
tle shaver, no bigger than ye be, lad." 

Edward did not just relish being addressed thus, for 
he had thought himself a man. 

"Well, well, so yer father is dead? May the good 
saints save us, but if iver a Protestant has gone to 
Heaven, that man has. And ye just wants to walk in 
the footsteps of yer noble father, me lad, and — mind 
what I tell ye ter yer dying day — ye'll come to no 
bad end." 

Our boy felt like grasping this kind bricklayer's hand 
in grateful appreciation of these words of praise. Then 
he suddenly remembered the Irishman is possessed of 
two failings at least, quick temper, and a love for be- 
stowing superfluous flattery. 

Tom Gorman proceeded : "There is one thing I 
can't forgit, try as I will, and that is I owed your father 
tin dollars." 

Edward was suddenly interested. Would this man 
consider he owed it now to him, and pay the bill, or 
would he show no more sense of honor than his uncle 
had? 

"Ye see, I niver could pay it back to him, as I didn't 
know where he was, and besides I have niver had that 
many dollars together at any one time since." 

Edward's hopes began to fall a little, but he felt that 



48 TIMELY AID 

he could be thankful for only some small portion of the 
original debt. 

"I came by that money in this way," continued Tom. 
"I went to yer father, dead broke, and told him that 
me poor, dear mother was very, very sick and I hadn't 
a rid cint to take me down to Buffalo and see her in her 
dying hour. 'Twas breaking me heart. Then yer 
father, the good soul, give me the money. Say, boy, 
I had told a black, wicked lie, and I have niver slept a 
night since without thinking of it. Tell the truth, I was 
borrowing that money so as ter bale' me brother Patsy 
— the darty scoundral — out of jail. But the devil got 
the best of me, lad. I have one failing— jist one — I am 
altogether too fond of whisky. I have confessed me sin 
time and time agin. Well, the ind of it was I spent me 
every penny for strong drink and landed up in jail rae- 
self. When I sobered up and went back to yer pa for a 
job, the good builder had gone and I've niver hern from 
him from that day ter this. 

"And so he is dead, ye tell me. Well, well, niver can 
I furgit his good, kind advice to let drink alone and I 
' will. So help me Holy Mother ! I will niver touch an- 
other drop of that accussed stuff agin. But here, what 
am I doing, confessing ter ye as if ye were Father 
O'Brien himself. Somehow me and the praste can 
niver git along together. I am always saying some- 
thing that he don't like. He give me a calling down 
one day for using some big words, and I said, 'Never 
mind, dear Father, my swaring and yer praching and 
praying is justifiable — nather one of us mane envthing 
by it.' 

"And would ye belave it, I had to do penance for a 
week jist fur saving that. Now did yer iver hear the 
likes ?" 

Edward was beginning to fear that his friend had 



TIMELY AID 49 

entirely forgotten about the ten dollars he had admitted 
owing, when Tom again spoke of the matter. 

"Well," he said, "I suppose ye are left alone now, 
cast adrift upon the cold world, and I'd better pay ye 
that tin dollars than confess, in the last hour, to the 
praste, when I'll have to give it all, and more too, just 
to be prayed through pergatory." 

Edward's heart now gave a happy bound. 

"Let me see," said the good fellow. "I am an honest 
man ivery inch of me, if I am an Irishman and a Ro- 
man Catholic at that. But let me see, have I got tin 
dollars about me. Yes," pulling out a roll of bills, 
"that and more too. I sold poor Mollie's sewing ma- 
chine and some other things her father give her, sold 
them this morning. Did intend to buy a horse and 
dray. But I belave I'll pay that old debt instid." 

Edward was very scrupulous about taking anything 
belonging to another, and so he ventured to remark, 
"If that was your wife's machine, the money isn't 
yours to give me, is it?" 

"Well now, I suppose that is jist the way a person 
looks at it," said Tom. "Me wife and me are one, and 
I am the one ; or at laste that is the way it used to be." 

Then Tom came to Edward's relief, by taking out his 
red bandanna, wiping his tearful eyes and mournfully 
announcing, "Poor Mollie, I buried her only a week 
ago last Friday. She was all the wife I had" ; and by 
this time he was ready to hand the boy thirteen dollars, 
saying he wanted to pay that debt and with interest. 
As Edward hesitated about the overplus, Tom pushed 
it into his hand and said : "I suppose ye think thirteen 
an unlucky number. They tell us Friday is not a lucky 
day ; but didn't Columbus discover this grand America 
on Friday, and didn't I bury me Mollie on Friday? 
There, boy, goes yer boat, the captain is calling 'All 
aboard !' for the third time. Now if ye intend to go, 



50 TIMELY AID 

ye better fly to the cathole and git yer ticket, or I'll have 
ter take ye in as a boarder, with nobody and nothing to 
keep house with. If anybody iver hated to say good- 
by to ye, it's meself, but goodby, good luck ter ye, and 
God bless ye." 

Edward hurriedly gave his new found friend a hearty 
handshake and told him how glad he was he had met 
him. 

While sitting on deck that evening he about made up 
his mind that if he ever should take it into his head to 
join any church, it would be the Roman Catholic; and 
then he thought : 

"It is not the church that makes the Christian. A 
heart can be kept right anywhere, whether in or out of 
the church. My father was not an avowed member of 
any denomination, still I haven't the least doubt but 
that he is in Heaven with mother. I care not for the 
preacher's, or any other man's opinion. My angel 
mother is not so entirely devoid of feeling that she 
could be happy even in the seventh heaven knowing 
that our kind father had been consigned to the pangs 
of endless torment ; and I can't remember ever hearing 
her say that she believed in this terrible place called 
hades. No ; I cannot, I will not, believe such a false 
doctrine, though all the world might proclaim it. 

"Did I not receive evidence that my dear parents 
were together, that last night I was out in that winter's 
storm ?" 

How Edward did enjoy the beautiful moonlight on 
the lake. He no longer felt friendless and alone ; he 
had met a friend already and believed in his heart that 
the mind of an Infinite Father — he now clung to some- 
thing more than a Mighty Atom — had intercepted and 
sent him timely aid in the form of this big, kind, gen- 
erous hearted Irishman. Surely his meeting with this 
stranger, who had so suddenly made him comparatively 



TIMELY AID 51 

rich, was something more than merely a strange co- 
incidence. 

The stars above all seemed to be singing together, 
"God works in a mysterious way his wonders to per- 
form/' and all of their reflections in the blue expanse 
of water beneath took up and echoed the glad refrain. 

As the boat moved on, rocking against the waves and 
billows, our little man fell asleep, to dream of home and 
mother and to hear a throng of angels, lead by his 
father's fine bass voice, singing : 

Rocked in the cradle of the deep, 
I lay me down in peace to sleep ; 
Secure I rest upon the wave, 
For Thou, O Lord, hast power to save. 
I know Thou wilt not slight my call, 
For Thou dos't mark the sparrow's fall. 
And calm and peaceful is my sleep, 
Rocked in the cradle of the deep. 

When he awoke it was morning, and they were in 
sight of Buffalo. And when he arrived in the suburbs 
of Rochester, where he formerly lived, many and 
hearty were the welcomes ; but of all who expressed 
affection and showed rejoicing over the meeting, none 
excelled his shepherd dog Fido. Together they went 
out in search of employment, and here we will leave 
them for a time. 



52 TIMELY AID 



CHAPTER VIII. 
The Minister's Child. 

THE little Michigan town has grown up with the 
boys. It has its high schools, churches, banks 
and factories. Its first storekeeper and his wife 
have both met with the transition called death. 
They lived to see the forest give way to extensive 
fields of grain, macadamized roads take the place of the 
old corduroy, and almost every improvement conceiv- 
able. Their son had run away from home in disgrace. 
The obedient and promising nephew, John, had sought 
and obtained a college education, assisted by his brother 
Edward's hard earned dollars. 

This brother, now visiting in Michigan, has risen 
from a successful contractor and builder to a wealthy, 
real estate dealer. 

John has been ordained to the ministry, and is taking, 
as his first pastorate, the church of his childhood, which 
is very much enlarged both in size and numbers. We 
know that if anything has ever thrived better than 
Canada thistles, it is Methodism. 

Owing to his depressed spirit, another divine has 
been provided to fill his place ; and on the morrow, he is 
to take his little baby, and board the train for Roch- 
ester in company with his brother and his brother's 
wife. 

This being the last evening at the parsonage, callers 
were continually coming to bid farewell. 

It is less than two weeks since Alice passed on, 
but it seemed like months, even years, to her husband. 

Rev. John Bell is reclining upon the couch, in what 
has been the library. He hears the doorbell ring, and 



TIMELY AID 53 

Clara, the maid, ushers into the adjoining parlor their 
family physician, Dr. Strong. Although he knew the 
good old man had come to say goodby, he made no 
move, for he felt too indifferent and downhearted to 
entertain no matter who might call. He had instructed 
Clara not to disturb his rest, and had extinguished the 
light, and no one knew of his presence there. 

Edward, Anna and the baby were in the parlor, and 
Clara remained to finish her careful packing of bric-a- 
brac, pictures, books, etc. 

It had been decided that this faithful girl, who had 
no other home and who was looked upon here more as 
an adopted child than servant, was to accompany them 
and be given a place in the home of Mrs. Edward Bell. 
She could have chosen nothing better ; this world held 
nothing so dear to her as this motherless baby. 

The evening's conversation had turned on several 
topics. At last, clearing his throat and speaking as if 
with difficulty, the doctor inquired of Airs. Bell: 
"Aren't you afraid you are allowing the bright light to 
shine too directly into baby's eyes ? They have never 
been very strong." 

"Why, she doesn't seem to, mind it in the least," she 
smilingly replied. 

"Does the baby seem to notice anything yet?" asked 
the doctor. 

Auntie shook the rattle to give evidence how quickly 
Hazel would "reach," and show other signs of delight : 
and' then she held before her the gayest, prettiest doll ; 
but Hazel only looked away into vacant space. 

"See, see the pretty dollie," she coaxed. 

Then the doctor, who had previously planned how he 
would make a speech, and break the news most gently 
to the unsuspecting family, forgot everything and ab- 
ruptly announced : 

"She can't see. She was born blind !" 



54 T.I M ELY AID 

"Blind!" They all exclaimed, "Oh, doctor, it can't 
be — you must be mistaken." 

"It is only too true, he sadly replied. "Those eyes 
are a beautiful violet blue ; but that far-away sightless 
look has never escaped me. I have made examination 
and I have quietly held consultation; and I know the 
poor child is totally blind. 

"Let us be thankful the mother was spared from the 
torture of hearing this statement. But it's best that 
some one should enlighten the child's father." 

At that moment John Bell entered the room and fair- 
ly staggered to his baby. He did not need to speak ; 
that awful look of agony, that colorless face, told 
plainly that he had heard. Was his child to go through 
life groping in total darkness? Finally his trembling 
voice broke forth and he said: "I thought my heart 
was broken before; but this is worse than death." 

The repressed sobs of the two women could be heard. 
The uncle paced the floor, went to the window and 
looked out on the starlight night. The kind doctor, 
with tears in his eyes, grasped in farewell the hand of 
each and departed. He could not find voice to say even 
so much as the word Goodby. There was no hope; 
there was no physician on earth, no great oculist, who 
could heal this child. 



A 



TIMELY AID 55 

CHAPTER IX. 

Rejecting Help. 

HALF hour had been past in silence since this 
sad household had been told, by good authority, 
J^~\ that the eyes of little Hazel were sightless. The 
grief-stricken parent had by this time made him- 
self believe that he was calm and reconciled to what 
must be looked upon as the inevitable. He had re- 
peated over and over again, ''What can't be helped, 
must be endured." 

But entirely other thoughts were in the mind of 
Clara, and after she had several times repeated to 
herself : "Fear hath torment. Perfect love casteth 
out fear. There is nothing to fear/' she became brave 
enough to speak, though well knowing that what she 
had to say was very liable to incur the minister's dis- 
pleasure. She went over to where Mr. Bell was sit- 
ting and addressed him as follows : 

"We must not forget that all things are possible 
with God, with the great Physician ; while there is life, 
there is hope ; and Man's extremity is God's oppor- 
tunity. Undoubtedly, you know what I would sug- 
gest for baby." 

The hot blood suddenly rushed into the pale face 
of the man thus addressed. He forgot for a time that 
his wife was dead, his child was blind, and he had 
nothing to live for ; and remembering only the sermon 
the early part of the month, he would now relieve him- 
self by delivering a few of those sentences in de- 
nunciation of what Clara had to offer. 

"Yes, girl," said he; "I know what you would like 
to suggest. I have not been blind to the fact that 



56 TI M ELY AID 

you have not attended our church for the last six 
months or more. I am aware that this so-called 
Christian Science has fastened its hold upon you. 
They tell me you have been healed of spinal trouble 
through these people. Clara, you are too good a girl — 
too intelligent — to hear them deny the existence of 
matter, of sin and of sickness, and then to believe 
their healing comes from God. Why, even the Spirit- 
ualists heal without the use of medicine. Very little 
God has to do with it, however." 

"Has it not been prophesied that in these latter days, 
there will rise up a people showing great signs and 
wonders, who will, if possible, deceive the very elect?" 
Clara replied. "We should never condemn a thing 
unheard, and if you would only, without prejudice, 
investigate, I believe — " 

"You can't tell me anything I don't know about 
Christian Science," retorted the minister. "I have just 
finished reading two books, one entitled 'Christian 
Science Neither Christian nor Scientific/ and the 
other 'Christian Science Unmasked/ These are sent 
out with 'Prayer Union' on the cover; and God grant 
they may do the much needed work! A warning 
voice needs to be raised. It is appalling the way 
Christian Science is spreading; see their magnificent 
and costly churches, and the thousands who throng 
to Boston at each communion service. 

"Tell me, are they worshipping God or that per- 
sonality known as the Christian Science leader — Mary 
Baker G. Eddy? 

"Christian Science is a dangerous teaching. It is 
constantly taking from us — and taking the best. Many 
of the noblest, brightest and most cultured are being 
led astray. 

"I wish, Clara, you would read these little books I 
have referred to. Then, I think, you would change 



TIMELY AID 57 

your mind and see the falsity in Mrs. Eddy's teach- 
ings." 

"I am what you may call only an investigator/' 
Clara replied. "I am not competent to explain Chris- 
tian Science. But one thing I do know — I was weak 
and sick. Now I am strong and well. 

"Not only has Christian Science done much for me, 
but if only you would listen, I could point you to 
hundreds of well authenticated healings — many of 
them marvelous." 

"Clara," replied John Bell, "I will not dispute you 
there. I entertain no doubt but that many have been 
healed. It is their method I combat. There is noth- 
ing Christ-like about it; and I do not feel that I am 
pronouncing too harshly when I denounce it as simply 
Demonism. I had written a sermon aiming to show 
my people the unscripturalness of this new theology; 
and to point those who hunger and thirst for truth 
in the direction of God's Word. And now, though 
their testimonies of healing may be indisputable, and 
dearly as I love my child, and glad as I would be to 
see her healed, depend upon it I shall wait a long, 
long time before trying such a means for her restora- 
tion. 

"I believe God is as able to heal now as He was 
in the days of old. 4 He is the same yesterday, to-day 
and forever/ I prayed for the recovery of my Alice. 
But then, I no doubt lacked faith ; or, perhaps, her 
time to go had come. I did not want to give her up. 
But God knew best. God is my healer. Yes, I do 
believe in faith cure pure and simple — if not in the 
healings of Alexander Dowie and Mary Baker G. Eddy. 
These impostors with the self-imposed titles, 'Elijah 
the Third/ and k The Second Mary' or 'Mother in 
Israel/ I denounce. You know how I feel about 
Spiritualism? I have respect for you, Clara, and do 



58 TIMELY AID 

not desire to hurt your feelings. But really, I can- 
not tolerate your foolish belief. I do not think our 
Christian churches should bestow upon Christian 
Science scarcely, if any, higher favor than they do 
upon Spiritualism." 

John had said that he did not like to hurt Clara's 
feelings. She had come to him, offering a greater 
blessing than gold — sight for the darling baby; and 
she felt as Jesus did when he wept over Jerusalem: 
"I would have gathered my children together, as a 
hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye 
would not." She felt as did St. Paul when he said : 
"The heart of this people is waxed gross, and their 
ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they 
closed, lest they should hear and see and understand 
and be converted, and I should heal them." The 
minister had said he did not desire to hurt her feel- 
ings by his harsh denounciations, but the poor girl 
was trying to hold the tears back while declaring 
silently, ''There are no such things as hurt feelings." 



TIM ELY AID 59 

CHAPTER X. 
A Friend in Need. 

THE minister was not addressing Mrs. Bell, but 
she did not enjoy listening to his tirade of 
abuse and seeing those beautiful, downcast 
eyes of the orphan girl filling with tears ; and 
she felt called upon to speak. 

"Brother John, pardon me for entering into this 
conversation. But I have been thinking of a verse 
I once read, which is a good motto for us all when 
tempted to speak ill of others : 

There is so much good in the worst of us, 
And so much bad in the best of us, 
That it ill becomes any of us 
To talk about the rest of us. 

"I am not a Christian Scientist, never have been, 
and never expect to be. But I want to tell you, there 
is some — yes, much — truth taught therein. We need 
to accept only what seems demonstrable to our reason, 
and let the rest go. If our eyes were not so holden 
we would see good Christians everywhere, even among 
the Scientists. I find in Christian Science much to 
admire ; and you yourself do not dispute their heal- 
ings." 

Clara felt that this good woman had come to her 
with timely aid, and she beamed upon her a look of 
grateful appreciation. 

"Science/' said John, in answer, "as they choose to 
name it, might appeal to you when it would not to a 
Christian. Are you well enough posted on the sub- 
ject to tell me whether or not these people we are 



60 TIMELY AID 

discussing deny the vicarious atonment, the Adamic 
pollution, a personal devil and a literal hell ? ,? 

"I believe they do," she replied. 

"Well, then," declared John, "it is as I have always 
claimed : they are infidels, passing themselves off as 
Christians." 

"Brother," said Anna, "your definition of what 
constitutes infidelity, and mine, likely, would not 
agree. Dispensing with hell doesn't make an infidel. 
If you must have your hell — why, I suppose we will 
have to let you have it. But we want none of it; 
and why can't you let us have our Heaven in peace, 
and without calling names? I have never met an 
infidel, though there are a few who, for some reason, 
loudly proclaim themselves such. Nevertheless, I 
have my doubts whether this world ever has contained 
such a rara-avis as a genuine atheist." 

"Yes, I see that you lean toward Christian Science," 
said John. 

"I do, and I do not," she replied. "I believe in 
perfect God and perfect man. I believe that all men 
will eventually have worked out their own salvation. 
I believe in divine healing; and while there are a few 
truths taught in Christian Science, I will see them. 
Paschal Randolph spoke truly nearly a half century 
ago, when he penned in his book these lines : 'Church- 
anity to a great extent has usurped the office and 
functions of Christianity/ The world needs to be saved 
from this disease. And though I myself have a church 
preference, may God ever keep me from narrow sec- 
tarianism ! is my prayer. You see now how it is ; I 
lean and I do not lean towards Christian Science. I 
see some good there. 

"I believe in Divine Healing. We see it all around 
us to-day. We can go back to the Bible and read of 
the nine spiritual gifts that never should have been 



T I M ELY AID 61 

lost sight of ; namely, 'The word of wisdom ; the word 
of knowledge ; faith ; gifts, of healing ; the working 
of miracles ; the gift of prophecy ; the discerning of 
spirits ; divers kinds of tongues ; the interpretation of 
tongues/ I am not a Christian Scientist; but I have 
accepted for my motto : 

Seize on truth wherever found, 
On Christian or on pagan ground. 

'Those very books that you recommended as un- 
masking Christian Science, I happen to have read. 
And in my opinion, instead of doing what they claim, 
they unconsciously unveil their own skeleton theology. 

"I could not but take notice of how you said you 
had investigated Christian Science. Would you go 
to a blacksmith if you wished to learn the jeweler's 
trade? Now I have read 'Science and Health.' I 
make it a point, as far as time will permit, to investi- 
gate all subjects ; and those very same little books you 
referred to were the cause of it. They, as if by chance, 
fell into my hands. Xow I would not investigate one 
side of the question and not the other. This led to 
my going to our city library and bringing home a copy 
'Science and Health/ In one of these books — I think 
it was called 'Christian Science Neither Christian nor 
Scientific,' there were no arguments used. It simply 
consisted of, first, a statement from 'Science and 
Health' and then a verse of Scripture directly con- 
tradicting it. This method was continued for several 
pages ; and the book closed with the words : 'What 
part hath a believer with an infidel ; wherefore come 
out from among them and be ye separate.' 

"Although at first reading this little pamphlet 
seemed as convincing as anything could be — and I was 
almost carried away with the tide denouncing Christian 
Science as wholly wrong — yet I knew that it was my 



62 TIMELY AID 

duty to 'prove all things and hold fast that which is 
good/ My investigation must be unprejudiced and 
unbiased. 

"These are my precepts : Read not to believe and 
take for granted, nor yet to condemn and confute ; 
but to weigh and consider. 

"I never like to see, as we so often do, one church 
pelting stones at another. 

"You say, that the Christian churches should not 
bestow upon Christian Science and Spiritualism as 
much respect as they do. I disagree with you. I think 
that what you designate as the Christian churches, if 
they were really Christian, would bestow upon both 
of these churches more respect than they do. You 
look upon a few denominations as 'sister churches/ 
There are others that you will not even recognize as 
being 'distant relation/ Let us not be forgetful of 
the Scriptural advice : 'Touch not mine anointed and 
do my prophets no harm/ 

"God has no use for Churchanity — I care not under 
what name it comes. As sure as there is to be a 
Church of the Millennium, sectarianism is doomed. 

"My mother was a Protestant and my father a 
Catholic ; and my grandparents on both sides, prompted 
by sectarian bitterness, denounced their children. They 
lost track' of them. Father died when I was a baby. 
Mother, poor, patient, frail little mother, with wealthy 
parents disowning her, was obliged to sew day and 
night that she might provide the necessaries. At last 
she wearied and died, and I, a young girl, was left 
alone in the world. I am alone to-day, save for Ed- 
ward and his people. Differences in religion caused 
this family separation, and my case has more than 
one parallel. I would not tear down the churches ; I 
would not put my foot upon them. It is their self- 



TIMELY AID 63 

assertiveness, their T-am-better-than-thou' spirit that 
I combat. 

"The attitude of the churches reminds me of the 
Quaker who said to his wife: 'Hannah, everybody in 
this world is a little queer but thee and me — and Han- 
nah, thee is a little queer.' 

"Yes, John ; this is too prevalent. I see how 
it is. If healing could come to you through the Metho- 
dist church you would most gladly accept it. 

"But we will return to our subject, Christian Science. 
I repeat, this teaching is neither as foolish nor as bad 
as you picture it. You fancy that you have investigated 
the subject, that you know all about it. When the fact 
is, that you have never looked into it at all. 

"Now, when I had finished reading those same little 
books against Christian Science — that furnished you 
so much enlightenment — I said, I will take the stand 
we read of in the Crown's First Part of Henry VI., 
and to the warning ones reply : : 'Tis not enough to 
say in such a bush there lies a thief, in such a cave 
a beast ; but you must show him to me ere I shoot, 
else I may kill one of my straggling sheep.' These — 
your writers — have made zealous, vehement acclama- 
tions of the many errors to be found in Christian 
Science. Mere austere assertion and bitter denuncia- 
tion is not argument. I had their charges — but where 
were their proofs. Knowing that a judge or jury 
can never sum up a case until both sides have been 
heard, I then turned and read 'Science and Health.' 
To say that I agreed with everything in that book 
would be saying too much in its praise. But I found 
that Christian Science was not half as black as it was 
pictured. 

"It was very much like the teaching I was receiving 
then, and which I am still accepting; — though differ- 
ing greatly on a few points. Well, I took this little 



64 TI M ELY AID 

book denouncing Christian Science and weighed it in 
the balance. ~ I assure you it was found wanting. This 
Scripture would here apply : 'This man began to build 
and was not able to finish.' The little book, supposed 
to unmask, was worthless after all. They had at- 
tempted something and failed. Here was a line from 
'Science and Health': 'Harmony is the way to 
Heaven.' Then a line from the Bible: 'Jesus said, I 
am the way.' Here the writer was insinuating that 
Scientists rejected Jesus. I reasoned that there was 
nothing wrong in Mrs. Eddy's saying, 'Harmony is the 
way to Heaven.' Who can hope to live a life of dis- 
cord, and in so living reach that destination ? Does not 
the Bible say: 'My paths are paths of peace.' I was 
not long in learning that the Scientists did not reject 
Jesus. I had but to open at the first page, the first 
paragraph in the preface of the harshly criticised book, 
and there I found these words, speaking of the Star of 
Bethlehem : 'So shone the pale star, yet it traversed 
the night, and came where in cradled obscurity lay the 
young child who should redeem mortals, and make 
plain to human understanding the way of salvation.' 
Then, turning to another page, I read: 'There is but 
one way to Heaven, and harmony and Christ shows us 
the way.' 

"Now, who will say that that little book you are 
recommending to Clara and others is not misleading? 
Does the author thereof manifest a disposition fair 
and honest towards Mrs. Eddy? Or does he love to 
persecute her? There was one comment, however, 
that I thought about right. It referred to the place 
where Mrs. Eddy defines angels as not being mes- 
sengers ; but messages — simply pure, high, exalted 
thoughts. Then the writer of your book gave ex- 
amples of where the Bible used the words 'man' and 
'angel' interchangeably. One of the gospel writers 



TIMELY AID 65 

tells us that at the sepulchre, an angel told the women 
that Jesus had risen ; another, that a young man 
clothed in white, delivered this message. I remember 
that Simon Peter, in rehearsing the story of the 
trance, said that Cornelius informed him that an angel 
had told him to send for him, that he was called to go 
to the house of Simon at Jappa. It is recorded in 
Scripture that Peter obeyed the voice of the spirit that 
sent him on this journey. 

"Cornelius made answer to his inquiry how he came 
to be sent for, 'I was in prayer and a man stood before 
me in bright clothing/ Now, in the opinion of Peter, 
angels must have been spirits or men, as each of these 
names are applied to the one message-bearer. The 
angel St. John met on the Isle of Patmos said: 
'I am thy fellow-man. I am he that liveth and was 
dead, and behold I am alive forevermore.' In this 
I criticise Mrs. Eddy. This woman of world-wide re- 
nown has now passed her eighty-sixth milestone ; and 
for that, if for no other reason, people should refrain 
from unkind, unjust criticism. No matter how many 
errors her doctrine may contain, nothing calls for 
abuse." 

The minister by this time had made up his mind that 
his brother's wife did possess something that she called 
religion. Perhaps she belonged to the Swedenborgians, 
or to some of those branches of Divine Science; and 
looking at his watch, he said: "It is very late now, 
we shall have to be early risers here to-morrow morn- 
ing, if we would be in time for our train. I believe 
it would be wise to retire." 

He bent over the cradle and kissed his sleeping child 
good-night, and went to his room feeling a little more 
lenient toward Christian Science than he did before his 
sister began talking. Perhaps he will yet be persuaded 
to turn in its direction for help. 



66 TIMELY AID 

In the words of Jeremiah we question: "Is there 
no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there ?" and 
in the words of the Psalmist we answer: "Bless the 
Lord, O my soul, who forgiveth all thine inquities ; 
who healeth all thy diseases ; who redeemeth thy life 
from destruction." 



TIMELY AID 67 

CHAPTER XL 
A Ray of Hope. 

IT is the last night in the parsonage, and the father, 
having kissed his treasure good-night, remembers 
her in his prayer. 

"Almighty God," he prayed, "thou hast healed 
the blind in times passed, and now I ask to see the 
Son of Righteousness arise with healing in His wing. 
Amen." 

Clara tried to come to the realization that no matter 
what the seeming, Hazel's eyes were perfect symbols 
of the All-Seeing Eye ; that her sight was not dim, 
and she could see perfectly at this time. 

Young as she was, Clara had always felt a motherly 
responsibility ; and now, from this time on, she was to 
act only as nurse and seamstress. Hazel was really 
her charge. The girl took the tiny one from its cradle 
and carried it away to her room, keeping up her hopes 
and courage by denying the evil and affirming the 
good. 

It may be admisable to insert here a commentary on 
the servant-girl question. In nine out of every ten 
homes where one or more girls are kept, everything 
that passes between employer and employee seems to 
bespeak that matter of distinction. No girl knows her 
place who does not always wait until she has been 
spoken to before she speaks £ who is not content to 
clear away the oranges and olives from her mistress' 
table and partake of the plainest, in the kitchen ; who 
does not, when work is done, remain in the kitchen 
or ascend the back stairs to : her little seven-by-nine 
room, w 7 ith its one low window under the eaves look- 



68 TIMELY AID 

ing down into the back alley. No working girl ought 
to indulge in singing "Climbing Up the Golden Stairs/' 
Ah, yes ! they should — for in heaven, "The first shall 
be last and the last shall be first." 

Clara was never in the least obtrusive; she was not 
at all ignorant. She was neither contented nor dis- 
contented with her humble lot, but did with goodwill 
what her hands found to do. 

At the early age of ten, she and her little brother 
had been left suddenly orphaned; alone and in a 
strange city. Kind neighbors had seen them safely 
placed in an orphan's home. Her baby had been spared 
to her only a little while, when some one came, adopted, 
and took him away, she knew not where. And during 
all these years, she had hoped and prayed that these 
foster parents were kind. Nothing but the restoration 
of him could ever alleviate the pain tugging at her 
young heart. Nothing could ever banish that desire 
to see and be with her own. But how could she ever 
find him? She had remained in the Home until the 
age of sixteen, showing herself an apt pupil in all the 
common branches of learning, and in the various kinds 
of work taught there. But after all, this has been 
Clara's first and only real home. 

The parlor lights have been extinguished and every 
member of our little family has departed to his room 

Clara realized that in rescuing her from the min- 
ister's tongue, Mrs. Bell had proven herself a friend 
in need. 

But in recommending Christian Science, she had a 
feeling that she had done her duty, and that she could 
stand any amount of rebuff if only little Hazel could 
be brought to see. Was this a less favored child than 
blind Bartimeus? The girl found comfort in reading 
the following lines in an old Christian Science Journal. 



TIMELY AID 69 

In these lines what should be the mission of Christian 
Science is well set forth : 

"GO." 

G. V. S. 

Go list to the voice that is calling to action, 

Go sit at His feet, and humility feel — 
Go drink at the fountain of Life Everlasting; 

Go carry the tidings, 'Tis Christ that doth heal. 

Go visit thy neighbor, his bondage enduring; 

Go bear ye his burden, and show him the way — 
Go speak to him kindly, and carry the message, 

'Tis Christ that can heal thee, if thou wilt obey. 

Go tell to the traveler out on life's highway, 
All footsore and weary, his searching is vain — 

Go tell him to turn from vain searching and wandering: 
That Christ has appeared and is healing again. 

Go sit at the Gate of the Beautiful, waiting, 
And give to the poor, when for alms they appeal — 

Not gold, but the light of His kingdom stand telling; 
Go give them the touch of the Christ that doth heal. 

Go tell to the whole world this beautiful story, 
Go stand in your purity Christ manifest — 

Go tell them to look, reach forth, touch His garment; 
To know of His healing, and knowing, find rest. 

During the whole evening, Edward Bell, who was 
never in any other than a talkative mood, had kept 
perfectly silent. Alone with his wife he began to 
speak. 

"Well, I never!" he said. "I have always wondered 
what you were good for. I have now decided to send 



70 TIMELY AID 

you out and let you take your place on the platform 
as a speaker and lecturer. Indeed, I am proud of you ; 
such talent ought not to remain hidden. Can't you 
study law — or something, and make your mark in the 
world? This is the time for the new-woman." 

"Oh, don't be foolish to-night, Edward," she re- 
plied. "I can't bear joking." 

And she could not ; for all the time, underneath, 
there was a sad current. She could not forget how 
they had this night been told that baby was blind. 

"Little wife, don't worry," comforted the husband. 
"The child will be brought out of this all right." Then 
he continued, "To hear you talk to-night — save for one 
or two remarks — any person would have pronounced 
you a genuine, full-fledged Eddyite. You defended 
their cause most ably. They sometimes speak well 
of other churches ; but did they ever of yours ? I did 
not expect to hear you pronounce any very harsh 
judgment, or say one thing they did not deserve; for 
that would not be according to your principles. Yet 
I confess I did expect to hear you tell your hearers 
what you did believe, and announce the church of 
your choice." 

"Edward," she replied, "I was on the verge of con- 
fessing several times. I came very near telling of 
my experience in metaphysical healing. But then, 
what would have been the use? 

"Really the way my healer brought me out from 
under the' pangs of rheumatism, and other healers we 
have seen, are marvellous. How far superior to the 
work of materia medical Had we not turned to a 
spiritual healer for help, I have not a doubt but that 
quick consumption would have taken you from me. 
To-day you are a picture of health and strength. 

"No, I did not make direct reference to my church. 
I was about to speak of it when I seemed to hear 



TIMELY AID 71 

Jesus giving the advice : 'Cast not your pearls before 
swine lest they turn and rend you/ ' 

"Well, now, that is complimentary, I must say!" 
exclaimed Mr. Bell. "Who are you likening to swine 
— all three of us ? You certainly can't mean me ! You 
know you would have but to say the word and I would 
even join the Mormons. I would never turn and rend 
you. My saintly brother never would. He is a Meth- 
odist, and they are the people of all people who 
make it a point to always keep the Golden Rule. You 
can't mean that girl — she belongs to the Christian 
Scientists, and they, you know, are God's chosen 
people — the peeople who are to usher in the Millen- 
nium." 

"Edward," said Mrs. Bell, in tones of decision and 
severity, "you have said quite enough for to-night." 

And her grown-up boy was silenced. 

While Clara, in her room, was repeating these 
words of Mary Eddy, "Divine love always has met and 
always will meet every human need," Mrs. Bell was 
thinking of the child, and finding equal comfort in 
meditating the words of another writer, Paschal 
Randolph; words having practically the same meaning: 
"For every ill there is a remedy, God-sanctioned and 
provided.'' And she felt that even in this affliction of 
blindness, God would send them timely aid and they 
would be delivered from the dark, overhanging cloud. 

Edward, too, had a ray of hope. 



72 TIMELY AID 



CHAPTER XII. 
The Dear Old Bible. 

ONE of the first things Rev. John Bell noticed in 
his brother's elegant home was a neat little 
Bible on the drawing-room stand. 

"Only for show ; probably never read," was 
his silent comment. 

One evening not long after their arrival, the min- 
ister pointed to this book, saying : "Brother, I am glad 
you give God's Word a place in your house ; and it 
is my prayer that you will also give it a place in your 
heart." 

"John Bell, I do — though you and I accept it in a 
different light. I cannot place explicit confidence in 
that book from cover to cover, as I find so many seem- 
ing contradictions therein. 

"If it is an all-sufficient chart and compass, why 
have we to-day nearly two hundred different de- 
nominations, all taking this for their guide, yet draw- 
ing conclusions therefrom as diversified and numer- 
ous as the sands of the sea? 

"We have a minister here in Rochester that I enjoy 
hearing. He often tells us : 'The Bible is not a book, 
but a library ; and the term "book" applied to it is mis- 
leading ; as it implies unity of authorship and unity 
of teaching — neither of which can be affirmed of the 
Bible.' " 

"I do not know," exclaimed John with spirit, "what 
kind of a church would pay for such infidel teaching 
as that; but the world is fast filling up with this 
dangerous New Thought. These people are no better 



TIMELY AID 73 

than agnostics. Old Theology is having a battle to 
fight ; but she must protect herself against these so- 
called religions that would overthrow the Bible." 

"Do you object," said Edward, "to the New The- 
ology because it differs from that of our father's, in 
that it is a religion of the head as well as the heart? 
We advance in the material way. Why not keep pace 
in the spiritual?" 

"Brother, you do not understand, if you think this 
minister I referred to denounces the Bible. He accepts 
it, but not in its entirety." 

"Edward, that is a book that cannot be taken frag- 
mentary. " 

• "Listen, John. This minister says the fault lies in 
the wrong use of the Bible. I would like to read from 
his article in a little magazine of which he is the 
editor: 'The Bible rightly interpreted and applied, we 
have always contended, is a work of great value in 
spiritual education ; while where it is regarded as ab- 
solute authority, or falsely labeled "God's Word" — a 
claim it never makes for itself — or where it is set up 
as the one standard of human thought and action 
through the ages, or made to annul the teachings of 
science and common sense, it becomes a stumbling- 
block to human progress and a hindrance rather than 
a help. So the Bible has brought peace to the world, 
and it has incited war ; it has fostered slavery and de- 
stroyed slavery ; it has elevated woman and degraded 
woman, according to the parts of the Bible quoted and 
applied.' " 

"That preacher is wrong," declared John, with great 
vigor. "The Bible has never brought anything but 
peace to the world." 

"Well, perhaps you think so ; but when I remember 
the poundings Uncle Joe gave me, while quoting: 



74 TIMELY AID 

'Spare the rod and spoil the child,' it doesn't strike 
me that it brought peace in that case. How much 
more the good man might have done for me if he had 
only held to the text : 'He that is slow to anger is bet- 
ter than the mighty ; and he that ruleth. his spirit than 
he that taketh a city/ It seems to me that the Bible 
Uncle Joe used to read and ponder, and the Bible I 
love to read, are two entirely different books ; but 
then, I suppose you think he being a Methodist, has 
gone to Heaven, while I am, unfortunately, headed 
for the other place?" 

"That is something we will not discuss," said John. 
"I am not your judge. 

"True, some passages of the Scripture are more ap- 
plicable to our needs than others ; but I do want to im- 
press upon you this fact: spiritually interpreted, the 
Bible never contradicts." 

"No, I suppose not," replied Edward with a twinkle 
in his eye. "But for example, let us suppose : Here is 
a young man anxious to get away from the farm and 
out where we can see something of the world. Would 
you think the farm the place for him, and quote Scrip- 
ture : 'The rolling stone gathers no moss ?' I am of 
a different opinion ; I would like to see him move on ; 
so I quote from the same good book : 'A setting hen 
never gets fat/ What are we to do in such a case?" 

"Oh, Edward !" exclaimed- the brother in possession 
of a scholastic theology ; "neither of those sayings are 
in the Bible. You had better read it." 

"Edward knows better," put in Mrs. Bell. 

"Well, perhaps I have misquoted," admitted Edward ; 
"but considering that I never read the Bible, I hope 
you will make allowances. 

"Come to think, I guess I did read those maxims 
in the almanac instead. However, they correspond 



TIMELY AID 75 

with two that I know are in the Bible — and which are 
side by side : 'Answer not a fool according to his folly 
lest thou also be like unto him/ and 'Answer a fool 
according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own con- 
ceit/ I believe Solomon must have been the wisest 
man that ever lived, if he understood his own proverbs. 
Tell me, which of these commands are we to obey? 
You may not call them contradictions, but there are 
too many Scriptural difficulties for me. I have paid, 
my dear boy, for your theological training, in hope 
that sometime I may be enlightened by a thorough 
Bible student." 

A silence reigned, embarrassing for one at least, until 
Mrs. Bell came with timely aid and answered the con- 
undrum. 

"It seems to me," she said, "we were well advised 
by this same writer how to meet antagonistic, unreason- 
able opponents : 'Go from the presence of the foolish 
man when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowl- 
edge/ Argument to the point of strong contention 
never did any one any good. 'There are none so blind 
as those that will not see,' and 'Convince a man against 
his will and he is of the same opinion still/ As a rule, 
it is better not to argue religion — even the one in the 
right may become overheated in the excitement of the 
debate, and by answering a fool according to his folly 
'be also like unto him.'' 'But a soft answer turneth 
away wrath/ The wise man shows his colors, though 
he may say no more than, T do not agree with you/ 
He must let his opponent know where he stands, lest 
the man 'be wise in his own conceit/ There is one 
way to answer and one way not to answer/' 

"True," said the minister. "You see how it is, Ed- 
ward — the Bible does not contradict itself, after all. It 
is well that we should obey the poet's injunction : 



76 TIMELY AID 

Study it carefully, 
Think of it prayerfully. 

Deep in thy heart let its pure precepts dwell. 
Slight not its history, 
Ponder its mystery; 

None can e'er prize it too fondly or well. 

Accept the glad tidings, 
The warnings and chidings, 

Found in this volume of heavenly lore ; 
With faith that's unfailing 
And love all-prevailing, 

Trust in its promise of life evermore. 

"Very true/' replied Edward. "But when we do 
study its history and ponder its mystery, then it is that 
our eyes are opened to the fact, that it contains seem- 
ing contradiction. It seems that we enlightened people 
of this day and age cannot be blind to the fact that 
it has between its covers — particularly in the Old Testa- 
ment, many absurd and obscene passages, the songs of 
Solomon, for example. We know the Bible was writ- 
ten by men, some of them more righteous and en- 
lightened than others. We know that many times since 
the original manuscripts w r ere compiled, men have 
translated, revised and condensed them. And while 
we may hold the book in great reverence, I think we 
should be reasonable on this subject, as well as on any 
other, and not over-estimate its value. 

"Let us study with our eyes open to the God in 
Nature, employing free thought, reason and common 
sense, as we read. Take, for instance, that little story 
about the disciples having not the wherewith to pay 
their taxes. They caught a fish, and so found the 
silver. Such a thing may actually have occurred — I 
do not dispute the story. But much of the Bible I 



TIMELY AID 77 

look upon as figurative : Jesus said, 'Follow me and 
I will make you fishers of men.' Those fishers of men 
may have found a man, ministered unto his needs and 
received from him silver in recompense. 

"Now, to illustrate: Clara here may be a love-sick, 
disappointed maiden, and I try to comfort her with the 
assurance, 'There are just as good fish in the sea as 
have ever been caught.' You know, and she knows, 
that it is men I am talking about. The disciples may 
have caught a man. 

"You are mistaken, John, if you think I discard the 
Bible. It is a dear old book ; a most interesting and 
fascinating study. But I must be off to my lodge. I 
shall be glad to 'talk Bible' with you some other time. 
Let me leave one question with you before I go. Do 
you regard this testimony of St. Augustine as un- 
questionable: T was already Bishop of Hippo, when I 
went into Ethiopia with some servants of Christ there 
to preach the Gospel. In this country we saw many 
men and women without heads, who had two great eyes 
in their breasts, and in countries still more southerly 
we saw people who had but one eye in their fore- 
head'?" 

"Edward Bell, God pity your ignorance!" exclaimed 
John. "That is not in the Bible. It is only a hand- 
down from ecclesiastical history, and not to be ac- 
cepted." 

"Well, perhaps I have quoted from some other book 
than the Bible," said Edward. "But I accept it just 
as I do many things in your most sacred Book. The 
Primitive Christians found it necessary, for their ow T n 
safety, to speak and write mystically. It was a custom- 
ary style in that country and in those days ; hence our 
Bible is an esoteric study. 

"No doubt St. Augustine preached to just such 
people as we meet now. Preached to men without 



78 TIMELY AID 

heads — that is, devoid of anything like deep intellects ; 
preached to men with eyes in their breasts — to those 
who had a religion of the heart, but not of the head. 
There is a vast difference between people who hear 
and feel and people who hear and think. 

"But worst of all, this poor, working saint of early 
days came upon a people who had but one eye in 
their foreheads. No doubt they already possessed a 
creed in which they were absolutely satisfied. I have 
preached to people myself, so set in their creedal be- 
liefs, so steeped in their old, preconceived notions, that 
they had no eye for anything new— but just a one-sided 
viewpoint. 

"Well, the time is short, and I must go," said Ed- 
ward, in conclusion; "but as I said, I shall be glad to 
discuss the Bible with you some other time, providing 
you will throw aside prejudice — lay away your 
Methodism just for a little while, and come to me in 
the attitude of a little child. I can't preach to a man 
with but one eve in his forehead. Good-by." 



TIMELY AID 79 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Who Healed the Child? 

rpHE REV. JOHN BELL rather prided himself on 
not being the least bit sectarian. 

While he attended the Methodist church more 
frequently than any other, he visited the numer- 
ous sister churches, the Salvation Army meetings and 
those of the Faith Cure Mission. 

In the latter place, he loved to sit and listen to the 
Bible stories of healing, and to similar testimonies of 
present-day deliverance from sickness and disease. 

The man who healed all manner of diseases left this 
as his last message: ' "Go ye into all the world and 
preach the gospel to every creature. * * * And 
these signs shall follow them that believe : in My name 
shall they cast out devils ; they shall speak with new 
tongues ; * * * they shall lay their hands on the 
sick and they shall recover/' 

Although John had prayed for the recovery of the 
sick, and God had seemingly been deaf to his call, yet 
his faith in the Bible did not waver ; for there it was 
written : "The prayer of faith shall save the sick." 

During these weeks of darkest hours, since the 
minister had learned that his child was blind, the good 
man had prayed continuously ; yet no change was per- 
ceptible. But, he thought, "Let patience have its per- 
fect work." Jesus healed the blind. He would have 
left no uncertain promise ; and He said, "The works 
that I do ye shall do also." He must be accepted at 
His word. 

How the minister clung to that promise ! How wil- 
lingly would he have given all that he possessed to 



80 TIMELY AID 

save his only child from passing through life in dark- 
ness. 

With trembling voice, one night he arose and told 
these kind, good brothers and sisters of his little girl's 
affliction, and requested, in her behalf, an interest in 
his prayers. They prayed with him. 

Would it avail ? We will wait and see. 

Faith cures, though not frequent, occasionally occur. 
Blind faith, not combined with understanding, occasion- 
ally will reach the throne of grace, and meet with re- 
ward. There are two kinds of heaiers : those who 
understand the theory — the fundamental principles 
underlying the work — and those who do not. 

There are two kinds of musicians : those who have 
made a study of the laws of harmony, and those whom 
we term natural-born musicians. The latter strike 
chords and play sweet melodies in spite of their igno- 
rance. 

According to history, there were at least three hun- 
dred years of frequent healings, after Jesus was 
crucified. 

To-day primitive Christianity is being restored, and 
with it the Christ method of healing. 

Clara attended without variation the Christian 
Science services, and at the earliest opportunity went 
through class with one of Mrs. Eddy's loyal students ; 
paying one hundred dollars for ten days of instruction. 

She told her teacher of the little motherless, blind 
charge entrusted to her, and ofifered to pay for the 
treatments herself, if only she would take such a diffi- 
cult case. And the teacher said in reply to her request : 

"There is nothing difficult with God. But first, I 
make the request that you obtain the consent of the 
child's father. If he is willing to purchase a copy of 
'Science and Health,' and to study it daily, come to 
me and I will do all I can." 



TIMELY AID 81 

It seemed to Clara that she had a hopeless task be- 
fore her. The healing of the blind child was as noth- 
ing compared to. the securing of the lather's .willing 
consent. But the girl was very much in earnest. 

She went to Mr. Bell and asked if he would allow 
Hazel to be treated by Christian Science. 

"If you have any faith," replied he, "you may do, 
yourself, what you can, for baby, as long as you re- 
frain from calling it Christian Science. I want none of 
those people here. I would give no other healer but 
you a chance ; you are an exception. I will let you 
work for the child. But mind, you are not to keep 
talking to me about Christian Science and the 'Star- 
crowned Woman.' " 

Clara rejoiced. This concession was a little start 
in the right direction, and gave hope that John would 
fully accept Christian Science in its entirety, in the 
future. She felt at liberty to realize the Truth. She 
ran away to the baby, repeating to herself the "Scien- 
tific Statement of Being," as given by Airs. Eddy in 
"Science and Health." 

Xow Uncle Edward had n^ver missed a single day 
that he had not lovingly, earnestly placed his hands 
upon the sightless eyes and held thoughts like these: 
"Hazel, God never created you blind. The Bible de- 
clares 'The hearing ear and the seeing eye behold the 
Lord hath made both of them.' Yes, dear, He gave 
you perfect sight. 

"You are walking in the light, not in darkness. 
Listen to me : Those eyes were made to see !" 

Gradually it became quite apparent to the watchful 
uncle and aunt that the child's eyes were gaining in 
brightness ; that already she distinguished light from 
darkness, and was taking notice of large objects. Her 
healing was coming gradually. 

The Great Physician had a blind patient who re- 



82 TIMELY AID 

turned, saying: "I see men as trees walking/' He 
went away from the Master, the second time, declar- 
ing: "I see clearly/' He had not realized instantane- 
ous healing. 

One evening the uncle of the blind child, after hav- 
ing just given her a treatment, came leading her into 
the parlor where the family were assembled. 

She held in her hands a bright-hued picture book. 
Breaking away from her uncle, she ran straight to 
her Papa, trying to call his attention to her book, and 
manifesting the greatest delight, as she turned its 
pages. Nothing could be more convincing; her every 
action indicated that she could see. 

As it dawned upon them, that her blue eyes were 
bright and no longer closed to the things of this world, 
each heart was rejoiced beyond measure. Her father 
shouted for joy, "O, glory to God! I have prayed for 
this." The nurse exclaimed, "I have treated many 
days for this ; but Christian Science, rightly applied, 
never fails." And the uncle, with notes of happiness 
and confidence in his voice, said, at the same time, "I 
have worked for this." Pretty Polly, the talkative 
parrot, who thus far had been a quiet observer, in 
solemn tone announced, "I have done what I could." 
Everybody laughed. 

Polly, like her master, would always have something 
to say, wise or otherwise, in season or out of season. 
No one was ever surprised at anything this uncom- 
monly bright bird might say or do. She would pray 
and swear all in the same minute. Polly was noted 
for her erratic behaviour. 

Mrs. Bell had known all the time that three 
somewhat different kinds of mental work were being 
used with this child. She, it must be confessed, had 
more confidence in her husband's work than that of 
the others, and was looking forward to the time when 



TIMELY AID 83 

she might be able to point in triumph to the same as a 
demonstration of the power of suggestion, as they prac- 
ticed it. Now she wondered how they were ever to 
know for a certainty who did heal the child. 

The nurse entertained not the least doubt in her 
mind, but that it was just one more wonderful proof 
of the power of Christian Science to heal ; and she felt 
more grateful than ever to Mrs. Eddy, the discoverer 
and founder of all this. 

Be it said to the credit of the minister, that he did 
think that perhaps Clara's treatment might have as- 
sisted him in his prayers. 

As if reading their questioning minds, wise Polly 
thought it time to speak again. In a solemn voice, 
emphasizing the first word, she repeated, "Thine is the 
kingdom, the power and the glory. Amen." Then 
she sang one line of a hymn: "Praise God from whom 
all blessings flow." 

"The dear bird," said Airs. Bell, "is teaching a les- 
son. We should not care to say, with sectarian pride, 
that the child was healed through Christian Science, 
or through any other denomination. 

"She was healed through the Christ method. She 
was rescued through Divine Power. It is enough for 
us to know that we have done our part faithfully and 
well, and to the best of our understanding and ability ; 
for men and women are but channels through which 
God works. There is but one way of accounting for 
this wonderful thing. Heaven came to us with timely ' 
aid. As it is written: 'Paul may plant and Apollos 
may water, but it is God that giveth the increase/ ' 

Clara wondered if it were possible for such a grand 
demonstration as this to come under their immediate 
observation without making Christian Scientists of 
them all. Surely this must open their eyes. 



84 TIMELY AID 

CHAPTER XIV. 
The New Thought. 

THE morning following the day on which the pet 
of the household had been discovered to be 
healed, dawned a most glorious Easter Sunday. 
Mrs. Bell, at the breakfast table, suggested 
that they vary the rule and all attend the same church, 
announcing that Sarah, the cook, had willingly an- 
nounced to care for the baby during the morning hours 
of service. She turned to Clara, who stood by Hazel's 
chair attending to her wants, and sweetly invited her 
to accompany them. 

John naturally made inquiry what church they pre- 
ferred to attend. 

His brother replied, "Well, if you will allow it, I 
believe I had better take you where you can get some 
new thoughts. I assure you the preacher won't carry 
you into Hell ; nor will you find the Devil there. We 
usually attend what is called the Plymouth Church. In 
my opinion, it is founded on the rock ; as solid and 
safe a one as that upon which our Pilgrim Fathers 
landed." 

Asking no questions, but presuming they were going 
to the Unitarian Church, or some other liberal church, 
they wended their way to that beautiful edifice on 
Plymouth Avenue. As they entered, hundreds of 
voices, accompanied by the tones of a great organ, were 
united in singing "Heavenly Comfort." This hymn 
was followed by the pastor, requesting the congrega- 
tion to unite in silent prayer, remembering their 
veteran pilgrim, the "old man eloquent"- — Dr. J. M. 
Peebles, who was at this time on the ocean deep, re- 



TIMELY AID 85 

turning once again from missionary work in India and 
other foreign lands. "God bring him safely home," 
he prayed. 

Wherever Spiritualism goes, the name of Dr. Peebles,, 
who now styles himself as "eight-seven years young," 
accompanies it. 

The reverent heads, bowed in silence, cast a spell 
of deeper peace over the audience than any audible 
prayer could have done. 

Then the pastor's rich and earnest voice was heard 
in the following invocation : 

"With the glorious sunshine all about us, the joy 
of life in our hearts, the knowledge of the truth making 
us free from the fear of death and separation, we 
come into this little circle this morning, to give some- 
thing of the abundant joy that is ours, to those who 
are seeking the light. These dear spirits who yearn to 
give expression of their love ; who are seeking to make 
known their identity to their friends ; who wait and 
listen and watch for their coming, are our friends, 
and gladly we take them by the hand and would give 
them of our strength and our confidences, that they 
may make their messages intelligible and their personal 
presence clearly manifest. May such a wealth of love 
and confidence be ours. May so much of power come 
through us that the whole world shall feel that the sun- 
light of truth is a-dancing to the darkest corners and 
the remotest conditions. 

"We lift our hearts to those who understand. We 
raise our voices in prayer to the Spirit of All Good, 
all life, all truth, and would have our hearts open to 
the inflowing of all possible good that may come to 
us. Amen." 

Our visitors trembled ! What trap was this they . 
had been led into ? Could this be a Spiritualist prayer ? 



86 TIMELY AID 

Could this be a Spiritualist Church? What else could 
such statements as they had just heard mean? 

Once more the people were singing. Oh, the sweet- 
ness and feeling expressed in that hymn, "Beautiful 
Beckoning Hands" ! 

Call it Spiritualism or what he would, John Bell felt 
that it was good for him to be there. It seemed that 
his Alice had never been so near him since the day 
of her death. 

Edward Bell saw clearly the spirit form of his dear 
grandfather, who for many years had been in spirit- 
life. And during the singing of this hymn, he held 
sweet communion ; and he wondered if his brother were 
seeing and hearing what he was witnessing ; it was 
all so real to him. 

During the singing Mrs. Bell was comforted by the 
touch of her own baby's hand. But poor Clara saw 
and heard nothing, so earnest was she in her "treating" 
against malicious animal magnetism — the only attitude 
to assume when in the presence of Spiritualists. From 
the beginning to the end of that service, she silently 
repeated over and over these words of Mrs. Eddy: 
"The erroneous beliefs know as hypnotism, mesmerism, 
Spiritualism, mediumship, clairvoyance, theosophy, 
mental-telepathy, esoteric-magic, black art, psychology, 
demonology, astrology, oriental witch-craft, palmistry, 
mental-science, etc., are fabrications of mortal mind, 
products of human belief, dream-shadows, falsities of 
the sinful senses, which have no relation to Truth. 
They cannot formulate, project or in any manner put 
into human consciousness any law, or claim of law, 
which will operate to cure sickness, disease and dis- 
cord. These beliefs cannot produce fear, reaction, re- 
laxation, discouragement, death or the reversal of God's 
law, because they have no force and are annulled by 
the Divine law of Spirit." 



TIMELY AID 87 

The pastor of the church had a glad message this 
Easter morn, and it sank deep into the hearts of those 
in the audience prepared to receive it. But his message 
neither helped nor harmed Clara. 

The minister of the Plymouth Church was a man 
well versed in all branches of learning. But his only 
desire seemed to be to present the truths of Spirit- 
ualism. His discourse this morning was very sweet 
and simple, not an effort to exhibit his great scholarly 
attainments. 

As is customary in all churches on Easter Sunday, 
he read a chapter on the resurrection of Jesus ; choos- 
ing for his text, "If the dead rise not then is not 
Christ risen," and again, "If Christ be not risen then 
is our preaching vain." 

He showed his hearers how much more Easter Sun- 
day meant to them than to people of other denomina- 
tions. Continuing, he said, in part : 

"All religionists believe that the dead rise — not here 
and now, but in that far-away future. Xo one doubts 
the story of Jesus' resurrection. But these orthodox 
philosophers tell us that Jesus had a resurrection here 
to prove that beyond the grave, in the unseen world, 
there is to be a resurrection for all. To me, that is 
like attempting to prove the existence of fruit-bearing 
orange trees in Iceland, by pointing them out in 
Florida. 

"The Bible is filled with accounts of the angels 
coming. 

"In the vision of Jacob's ladder, angels were not 
only seen ascending heavenward but they were seen 
descending. 

"We have good authority for asserting that Jesus 
was a Spiritualist. 

"Moses and Elias appeared to him on the Mount 
of Transfiguration. And nothing could be more easily 



88 TIMELY AID 

understood that his answer to those who came ques- 
tioning the resurrection. It does seem to me that that 
alone ought to convince our opponents : 'That the dead 
do rise even Moses showed in the bush.' 

"If the angel that John saw in Patmos and conversed 
with, had once been an inhabitant of earth, no doubt 
those angels — those two young men who came and 
rolled away the stone from Jesus' sepulchre — were 
likewise from among the millions who have departed 
from this earth. All the churches are a unit to-day 
in confidently repeating : 'The graves were opened and 
many bodies of the saints which slept arose, came 
forth, went into the holy city and appeared unto 
many' * * * 'And when the women saw not his 
body they came saying that they had also seen a 
vision of angels, which said that he was alive/ 

"But should we go forth among all those who pro- 
fess to believe the sweet story of old, throughout this 
broad land, preaching that we this day have seen a 
vision of angels and received messages, I venture to 
assert that not one out of a hundred would believe 
our story. 

"Yet how many such occurrences happened two and 
three thousand years ago ! 

"It is Spiritualism that brings answer to the ques- 
tion: 'Man giveth up the ghost and where is he?' ' 

Then the choir sang these beautiful words of Sarah 
Whittlesey : 



THE ANSWER. 

They are safe in the harbor, the white sails are furled : 
The anchor is cast by the evergreen shore. 

They are living together, in God's lovely world — 
Our loved one, our lost ones, they sorrow no more. 



TIMELY AID 89 

Away, far away in the violet glow, 

Across the wide waste of a fathomless sea, 
Unthinking of us, are they resting? No! No! 
Our loved ones, our lost ones, are with you and me. 

Yes, here by the home hearth, with love-lighted eyes, 
A breath of their presence drifts through our dim days. 

They come swift as thought, from their home in the skies — 
Our loved ones, our lost ones, they guard us always. 

Our friends walked home in silence. They found 
little Hazel chasing her pet kitten around chairs and 
under tables. 

Her father inquired of Edward, "Do you claim to 
have treated this child as a Spiritualist?" 

"Yes ; I gave the child the help I have learned to 
give in Spiritualism,' 1 said Edward. 

Xo more was said ; but a little later Edward gave the 
minister a religious story to read entitled "Words That 
Burn," written by Lida Briggs Browne. And John 
went to the privacy of his own room, and there studied 
the last lesson he had received from an author and 
lecturer of Massachusetts, who was favorably known 
to all students of the truths of Spiritualism. 

Clara spent the busiest day of her life treating 
against Spiritualism, and those other "erroneous be- 
liefs, dream-shadows, falsities of the sinful senses," etc. 
They must not be given power to injure her or her 
friends, she determined. 



90 TIMELY AID 

CHAPTER XV. 
The Minister in Danger. 

THE Easter service had made a strong impression 
upon our Methodist brother. The story "Words 
That Burn/' had also added to that favorable 
impression and Edward remarked to his wife : 
"We didn't know what easy game we had here. Per- 
haps if we had hurried him to our church when he first 
came, we would have had a full-fledged Spiritualist by 
this time." 

When John's eyes began to open, and he saw how 
wrongfully he had misjudged, he came to Edward in 
a willing questioning spirit and asked, " How long 
since your first investigation of this subject?" 

"Ever since I returned to Rochester. I have reason 
to love this religion that has done so much for me. 
Modern Spiritualism had its birth in the little village 
of Hydesville, near this city, in the year 1848, when 
the Fox sisters and their mother heard the rappings. 
We may say we have been to the 'Mother Church' this 
day. Do you remember, John, before we removed to 
Michigan, that family living next door by the name of 
Elliott? We left old Fido with them. Never can I 
forget the home welcome these people gave me. Their 
son Homer, who had been my most intimate friend, was 
not there to greet me. He had passed on to the Sum- 
mer Land. And his parents spoke of my coming to 
them as a God-send. You had all this in a letter. 
They called me their adopted son, and no child of their 
own could have been treated better than I was. When 
the Angel of Death took them away from me I did 
not mourn as one without hope. They were Spiritual- 



is, 



TIMELY AID 91 



ists and taught me that true spiritualization was the 
growing up out of the merely physical into the spir- 
itual selfhood. They taught me that true spiritualiza- 
tion would bring peace on earth and good will to men. 
One of the first Spiritualist writers the world ever had 
was Paschal Randolph, and in his book 'Dealings with 
the Dead', he said : 'A man is no more a Spiritualist 
simply because he believes in physically demonstrated 
immortality than a child is a horse because born in a 
stable.' It means much to be a Spiritualist. We have 
not always met here in this fine church. When I was 
a child we met in parlors and in halls. When I first 
began to investigate I thought, and I do still, that much 
which goes by the name of Spiritualism, was such as 
would shock a conscientious Christian. But in Jesus' 
time, those who turned away saying : 'Can any good 
thing come out of Nazareth?' missed what I consider 
the grandest teaching that was ever presented to man- 
kind. Well, I attended lectures and seances, I found 
both ignorant workers and impostors, found men no 
better than many of your Methodists. One fakir, I 
remember, nearly drove all my confidence and hopes 
away. O, he was a wonderful medium, and the dol- 
lars just rolled into his pocket, until found out, and the 
good Spiritualists drove him away. One phenomenon 
we got through him was 'spirit music' on a violin. All 
his work was done in the dark as 'conditions were bet- 
ter,' he said. Well, one skeptical person in the au- 
dience thought he w r ould expose his fakery, and he 
did. He suddenly threw a light upon the scene. Our 
'heavenly music' came from that instrument, placed 
out of reach of the medium or any other person, but 
yet it was being played upon. How ? By the use of a 
whip in the hand of the medium. And you will find 
to this day others no better than he, working solely for 
dollars and cents. 



92 TIMELY AID 

"The first message I ever received was given through 
a rapping medium, spelling by means of the repeated 
alphabet, one rap meaning no ; two raps, uncertain ; and 
three raps, yes. I asked the name of my visitor. 
'T. G. 'was the rapping response. This I knew must be 
Thomas Gorman. 

' 'How long since your death?' I inquired. 

" 'Three months.' 

"Where?' 

" 'Railroad accident.' 

"Now Tom was an Irishman who had once worked 
for our father, and whom I had met by chance when 
passing through Detroit on my home journey. Judge 
of my surprise a few days later, when I met on the 
streets of Rochester this same Tom Gorman. When 
I expressed astonishment he said: "There is no place 
in the world like old Rochester for me.' But, said I, 
I thought you were dead. 'Dead ! well if I was dead, 
I'd come to life agin for the sight of you.' I met this 
man, whether in the body or out of the body I cannot 
tell. But I have my doubts about his ever having died, 
and think my message was but an example of the me- 
dium's mindreading or something else. 

"Some of my Spiritualist friends assured me that I 
was mediumistic and that if I would comply with the 
requirements I would receive direct messages. In my 
room alone I was suddenly surprised by the vision of 
a beautiful ball of light, apparently not of this world. 
Twice, three times it came to me and vanished. I was 
sure* it was an occult sign until chancing to look out of 
the window, there across the street I discovered some 
boys playing at the sun with a looking glass. I tell you, 
my brother, I have been up and down through the 
whole gamut and I find that all that is passing current 
for psychic science is not genuine. They call them 
spirit messages often, when in reality their origin is in 



T I M ELY AID 93 

the sub-conscious mind of the supposed seer. I can 
recommend no better book on this subject than The 
Widow's Mite' by Dr. I. K. Funk. Say, John, did you 
ever pass a lonely cemetery in the middle of the night? 
I did. I was alone, and just ahead of me at the top 
of the hill in front of the burial ground, I could plainly 
distinguish the motionless form of a woman, standing 
directly in my path, one arm uplifted toward Heaven. 
Should I turn and run, or go on and meet her fear- 
lessly? For a little while I stood undecided. My great- 
est fear was that this apparition might prove to be a 
Methodist come back to tell me w T hat she knew of the 
wrath to come. 

"But then it might be a friend anxious to deliver a 
true message. I approached nearer. The moon went 
under a cloud. I fearlessly, reached out my hand and 
touched, not a ghost, but a shock of corn stalks, that 
some farmer had dropped off his wagon. But, John, 
it has taken only a little while to tell of the few dis- 
appointments and to uncover mistakes I have made 
since coming into Spiritualism. I have not the time to 
tell you of all the genuine demonstrations that it has 
been my good fortune to see. 

"Among them I have received slate-written messages 
from both father and mother. The medium was a 
stranger to us all. Mr. Elliott's people compared them 
with letters they had received and the writing was iden- 
tical with that penned in earth life. I have had one 
actual proof after another that human personality does 
survive the shock of bodily death. As you come into 
Spiritualism, the true, the genuine kind, you will be 
filled with awe, with joy, with reverence, and exclaim, 
T have found the pearl of great price/ You can't 
help it. 

"In the year 1852 Beales E. Litchfield, one of our 
old-time mediums and lecturers, learned of this won- 



94 TIMELY AID 

derful, satisfying truth. In his book, 'Forty Years' In- 
tercourse with the Spirit World/ he says: 'I used to 
tell my Christian friends that unless some one who 
had crossed the dark valley could return and manifest 
his presence, I could see no evidence of continued life. 
"These friends would tell me that before the Chris- 
tian dispensation and at the beginning of that dispen- 
sation, occasionally some spirit had returned to bring 
to mankind the knowledge of the future life, referring 
me to Moses, Elias and others ; but they would con- 
clude by saying : 'That dispensation is passed. God 
has closed that intercourse, but has given us His holy 
word, the Bible. But the Bible record could not sup- 
ply my need. I was like a hungry traveler calling for 
food, and these Christian teachers were like the mas- 
ter of a mansion who invites a famishing traveler in to 
view tables spread with linen and dishes but no food 
and assures this guest that the day before, many hun- 
gry ones had been fed, and gives him a book telling all 
about the preparation of the feast and who were there 
to partake. Can his hunger thus be satisfied? Can 
the hunger and thirst for a ray of light from the world 
beyond be satisfied by reading the Bible ? I agree with 
our writer, J. K. Wilson, 'Men come and go having 
various ideas on the subject of death, its meaning and 
result. • It strikes me that the only possible way to 
become enlightened on this subject, is to consult some- 
one who has experienced it. I think all thinking men 
will agree with me on this point.' Can you think of 
any thing that could make a person happier than the 
positive assurance that his departed loved ones could 
return to him? Can you think of any thing that 
would have a greater influence over men to inspire 
them to better, higher and nobler conduct? If spirit 
return is true, if words of advice, comfort and cheer 
from the Summer Land can enter desolate homes, we 



TIMELY AID 95 

can trust to the angelic hosts to verify the saying : 'The 
refulgent ray of Truth is all piercing, it can never be 
quenched, its light shall yet illumine the world.' We 
will never know real happiness here until we have 
gained the understanding that 'the grave has no vic- 
tory.' 

"The Spiritualists are a peculiar people — they believe 
that this prayer which has been ascending for two 
thousand years, 'Thy kingdom come,' was intended to 
be answered. The Bible informs us : "Where the 
spirit of the Lord is there is liberty/ And a Spiritual- 
ist believes that one has just as much liberty to return 
as he has to depart. Some claim that this is too sin- 
ful a world for angel visitants ; but remember 'the 
earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.' It may 
be that our departed still have a work here to do. 
Men and angels both find their greatest happiness in 
helping others. There is a saying familiar among 
Spiritualists, 'Love is the bridge that leads from earth 
to heaven.' If we are on this bridge, what can hinder 
our meeting ? 

"I do not like to hear: 'He has gone to that bourne 
from which no traveler returns.' " 

Then going to a drawer Edward took out two pho- 
tos, saying as he handed them to his brother: "Do you 
remember how father and mother looked?" 

"O, they are perfect!" exclaimed John. "Where 
did you get them? I did not know we had their pic- 
tures." 

"These, my dear brother, are spirit photos. I sent 
my picture to a spirit-artist, a perfect stranger, and 
these are what he returned. O, its wonderful, it is 
grand. I can't find words to tell you all." 

If silence gives consent, then John Bell was not 
objecting. Clara had overheard much. She could 
see that apparently he did not oppose, and she re- 



96 TIMELY AID 

solved that if it was within her power to prevent it, 
he should not be led astray. He must read "Science 
and Health." If there was any danger of his turning 
Spiritualist, God helping her, she would come to him 
with "timely aid" and make him see the errors therein. 



TIMELY AID 97 

CHAPTER XVI. 
A Warning Voice. 

OXE beautiful morning, John Bell made the an- 
nouncement that he would take the 10 o'clock 
train and go out to Niagara Falls. Accordingly 
he departed. 

The family, an hour later, was surprised at his re- 
turn. He simply told them that he had changed his 
mind and would visit the Falls some other day. 

That evening he and Clara were alone, Edward 
and Anna having gone to a party. He looked up from 
Hie daily paper and exclaimed : "That was a timely 
warning indeed." 

"Do tell us, Mr. Bell, what you are referring to." 

"This paper tells of another sad railroad accident; 
trains collided between here and Buffalo. There were 
many injured and a few lost their lives. And it is the 
very train I would have taken if I had not had a pre- 
sentment or warning. I was in the depot awaiting 
my turn at the ticket window, when suddenly my Aunt 
Kate appeared to materialize and I never heard any- 
thing plainer than those words : 'Don't go to-day, 
there's danger." And then she as quickly vanished. 

"Why, Mr. Bell, you are not leaning toward Spirit- 
ualism are you?" 

"Well, what objection have you to it?" 

"I have this objection to it," said she. "It is not only 
foolish but it is wrong. Mrs. Eddy says in 'Science 
and Health' : 'When the science of mind is under- 
stood, Spiritualism will be found mainly erroneous.' " 

"Strange she should say that. I have'nt investigated 
either belief to any great extent, but from the little I 



98 TI M ELY AID 

have read if you leave out the doctrine of spirit return, 
I should say those two churches are as near alike as 
two peas in one pod. I would call them twin sisters. 
Now, Clara, I have seen strange and wonderful phe- 
nomena and unless it does come from the Spirit World 
how to account for it is beyond me." 

"You ought to read 'Science and Health/ and then 
you would see whence come all phases of manifesta- 
tion," said Clara. 

"Mrs. Eddy says : 'It should not seem mysterious 
that mind, without hands can move a table, when we 
already know that it is mind power which moves both 
table and hands. Apparently you saw your aunt. 
You are living under mesmeric influence. Yes, you 
thought you saw her, but it was all in mortal mind." 

"No doubt you are right," said Mr. Bell. "Jesus 
thought he saw Moses and Elias, but it was all in his 
mind — it must have been. Say, Clara, if seeing tables 
tip and hearing rappings was all, then Mrs. Eddy's 
explanation might satisfy me. But when questions are 
answered and names and information are given, it 
would almost seem as though there must be an intelli- 
gence back of it. Just see what the Psychical Re- 
search Society is uncovering. And do not the bright- 
est minds, some of our greatest scholars and scientists, 
look for the explanation in Spiritualism? Now I have 
been told, I can't say how true it is, that there was a 
time when Mrs. Eddy was a Spiritualist, or at least 
investigated Spiritualism." 

"It is false," cried Clara. "She answers that charge 
herself. Here, let me read to you from her book 
"Miscellaneous Writings" :T am not a Spiritualist and 
never was. I understand the impossibility of inter- 
communion between the so-called dead and living. 
There have always attended my life phenomena of an 
uncommon order, which Spiritualists have , miscalled 



TIMELY AID 99 

mediumship.' Now, Mr. Bell, isn't that plain enough? 
Aren't you reading these continued articles, slander- 
ing Mrs. Eddy, in 'McClure's Magazine'? I wish you 
would read the answers thereto in the paper called 
'Human Life.' " 

"I am reading both papers, are you?" said Mr. Bell. 

"I am reading the articles in 'Human Life/ replied 
Clara. 

"Do you mean to tell me, Clara, that Mrs. Eddy has 
never made any investigation of Spiritualism and yet 
condemns it?" 

"She knows something about it. Between the years 
1860 and 1875, she associated with and even lived in 
the homes of two Spiritualists, a Mrs. Clark and a 
Mrs. Crosby. She never disputes having taken treat- 
ments from the magnetic doctor, P. P. Quimby. But 
he did not help her, neither did he teach her anything 
new. She could see no glorious truth, no great mis- 
sion in Spiritualism." 

"Well, it seems to me there must be some truth in 
the statement somewhere or we wouldn't hear so many 
speaking about it," said John. "I have heard some- 
where, that Christian Scientists are mind-readers. Is 
that true?" 

"I will answer your question by reading from 
'Science and Health.' Said Clara. 'The greater or less 
ability of a Christian Scientist, to discern thought 
scientifically, depends on his genuine spirituality. This 
kind of mind-reading is not clairvoyance ; but it is im- 
portant to our success in healing, and is one of the 
special characteristics thereof.' You see, Mr. Bell, it 
differs from clairvoyance." 

"Yes, said the blind man, I see," replied Air. Bell. 

Then stepping to the book case he took from the 
shelf a book entitled "Spiritual Law in the Natural 
World," by Eleve, saying, "Please read this. I like it. 



100 TIMELY AID 

It is one of the books Mrs. Bell uses when treating the 
sick." 

Clara inquired if this book contained formulas. And 
when informed that it did she did not believe she 
cared to study the book, for, said she, "Mrs. Eddy, in 
the Church Manual, forbids her practitioners resorting 
to written formulas, and now as to the book you have 
there teaching how to heal the sick through the potent 
power of thought, read it, and what ever truth you may 
gain there, comes indirectly from Mrs. Eddy, and no 
credit is given the discoverer. Is that honesty? I 
believe they present it to the world under the name 
'Divine Science' giving Christian Science none of the 
honor, thus showing no sense of justice." 

"Clara, that reminds me of what my brother said 
of Christian Scientists." said John. "And as I look at 
it, it does seem to me Spiritualists are justified in tak- 
ing the position that the truths Mrs. Eddy is promul- 
gating have long been their own, and that her church 
is but a counterfeit. Nothing more than Spiritualism 
under another name." 

"O Mr. Bell, how little you know about it. Why, 
we are no more alike than black and white," 'said 
Clara. 

"Can you tell me, Clara, what great objections you 
have to the use of formulas? I know that Spiritual- 
ists are doing some fine work, even if they do employ 
them. As an outline of work what harm can formulas 
do? Have we not in the Lord's prayer a given for- 
mula? Why I used to be so narrow that when I saw 
an Episcopalian priest reading a prayer, I thought the 
prayer could never ascend any higher than the church 
ceiling, seeing it was read from a prayer book. Now 
about the use of formulas when treating the sick, it 
is true that taking the letter without the spirit, repeat- 
ing words like the repeating of a graphophone, of 



TIMELY AID 101 

course we could not expect to reap grand results from 
such a treatment. It is not the use of them but their 
misuse that one needs to object to." 

"It may be that Spiritualists sometimes heal," said 
she, "but the healings are never permanent like those 
in Christian Science. They manipulate their patients. 
Laying hands on the sick they are in error. Are they 
not thereby employing material means to assist them? 
and Mrs. Eddy denounces magnetism and electricity 
as the most subtle of all evils." 

"Clara, it is obvious that you have never heard of, 
or else you are forgetting, the many cases where Spir- 
itualists have healed through absent treatment, there- 
by vindicating their claim to be able to heal through 
the power of mind alone. My sister tells me that the 
laving on of hands is only symbolic of God's powerful 
hand at work. Now, why do you say that electricity is 
a subtle evil always to be shunned and avoided ?" 

"Because Airs. Eddy has called attention to the fact 
that hypnotism may work either good or evil, that is 
why. We know that mental science can lead one down 
as well as up, while Christian Science can never work 
harm. Any thing that can work both good and evil 
needs to be let alone/' 

"Now, Clara, a good rule applies both ways. Ob- 
jecting to mesmerism on that ground does not satisfy 
me. The same rule might be applied to all other 
things. I build a fire in this grate and it warms the 
house on a cold day and thereby comfort is obtained. 
My neighbor builds a fire that plays havoc and burns 
his home. Xow should the people dispense with fire 
because it has done this harm? Again, you and I 
read our Bible, our minds unfold and we profit by it. 
Our neighbor studies the Bible, gets wrought up and 
excited, goes insane over the subject of religion, kills 
his family to send them to Heaven, and is chained up 



102 TIMELY AID 

in some asylum and there ends his days. I have heard 
of cases where people have gone insane over reading 
the Bible. Now don't you think it would be better if 
people would take warning and leave the Bible entirely 
alone? That would be like your other philosophy. 
Magnetism in the hands of the right person is an agen- 
cy for good. No true Spiritualist will control a sober 
man until he fancies himself drunk. But, on the con- 
trary, he will use his mental power to make the in- 
ebriate sober, and the wicked man better. Spiritual- 
ism holds up the hands of any man that would re- 
form. Let me read to you a few words from 'The Sun- 
flower', one of the foremost papers of that denomina- 
tion. Here are a few extracts from a little article in it 
by Eliza Calvert Hall, under the heading, 'Negative 
and Positive:' 'The negative person is always looking 
for God and longing for a manifestation of God. The 
positive person knows that in God he lives and moves 
and has his being, and that he himself is or may be the 
highest manifestation of God in all this universe. The 
negative person looks back to his ancestors to see what 
manner of man he is destined to be. The positive per- 
son looks upward and forward to his own ideal and 
makes himself accordingly. The negative person looks 
at heredity and sinks into despair. The positive per- 
son fights heredity 'with environment and lives in the 
Eternal Hope. The negative person thinks he is made, 
and that's an end of it. The positive person believes 
he is in process of making, and it doth not yet appear 
what he shall be. The negative person looks forward 
to a heaven beyond the grave. The positive person 
says : 'The kingdom of heaven is within me,' and goes 
to heaven every day of his life without waiting 
for death to take him there. The kingdom of heaven 
is at hand. The negative person is afraid of draughts, 
of heat, of cold, of dampness. The positive person be- 



TIMELY AID 103 

lieves that a creature made in the image of God cannot 
be harmed by heat, or cold, or moisture, and he goes 
about his daily work without consulting the thermom- 
eter. The negative person boils his water and dreams 
of microbes. The positive person drinks from the 
hydrant or cistern when he is thirsty, and smiles at 
the idea of a microbe killing a man. In a word you are 
positive to a thing when you control it ; you are nega- 
tive to it when it controls you/ " 

John laid down the paper and commented : "I have 
just read from a copy of 'The Sunflower' and 'The 
Sunflower' is my brother's denominational paper. You 
say that Spiritualism is wholly apart from Christian 
Science. He says that Christian Scientists have appro- 
priated the teachings of Spiritualism unto themselves. 
Well, I don't know what to think !" 
. "I see," retorted Clara, "you are trying, in a 
round-about way, to accuse Mrs. Eddy of parading 
in Spiritualist garments. But, be that as it may, on 
other points there is one thing sure : She will be much 
older than she is to-day before she accepts of their 
hobby 'spirit return.' " 

"You are right, Clara, I guess, when it comes to 
that point they are wholly apart.'' But his voice took 
on a longing tone. He was thinking of Alice and other 
departed loved ones. 

Said he: "It seems to me it must be a comforting 
religion, this Spiritualism. Perhaps now they have an 
important truth that your church does not teach." 

"No, indeed, my church does not teach it. Mrs. 
Eddy condemns it above all things. She says : 'Spirit- 
ualism would transfer men from the spiritual sense 
of existence back into the material sense.' ' 

"Clara, I sometimes think that your leader is igno- 
rant as to the teachings of Spiritualists. Certainly she 
cannot understand their teaching as I understand it. 



104 TIMELY AID 

Either she has jumped at conclusions or has received 
her information from so-called Spiritualists who are 
ignorant as to their true philosophy. As I under- 
stand her, Mrs. Eddy never either here or hereafter 
gives to man material existence. In 'Miscellaneous 
Writings' she says : 'The physique is simply thought 
made manifest/ Now if Spiritualists look up to one 
man more than another for instruction and guidance I 
think I can safely say it is their 'Pilgrim/ Dr. J. M. 
Peebles. So let us hear how he defines matter: ' Spir- 
itualism is naturalism on the plane of conscious activ- 
ities, matter being only a shadow, an appearance, a 
symbol of the reality, the imperishable substance/ " 

"Does he say that ? What right have people to make 
use of Mrs. Eddy's teaching without giving her 
credit?" 

"Well, Spiritualists claim that this was taught be- 
fore a line of 'Science and Health' was written," said 
he. "Clara, to thinking people, it is becoming 
exceedingly common whenever Evangelical Christian 
Science, Divine Science or any other branch of the 
New Thought is mentioned, to hear her loyal follow- 
ers repeat: 'Stolen from Mrs. Eddy! It is only a 
dangerous counterfeit of the genuine coin.' You know 
it is only of late that I have taken up this line of read- 
ing, but the Spiritualist books I have read and the 
Spiritualists with whom I have consulted, teach me 
that they do not have to call the spirits back. They 
come back, or more correctly speaking, they are here, 
and that it is the mission of Spiritualism to 'transfer' 
men clairvoyantly, from the material sense of existence 
forward into the spiritual sense, where the inhabitants 
of the two worlds may meet. Now, if this is the way 
it is, then Mrs. Eddy is a poor critic. Spiritualists de- 
clare that the exalted ones cling to earth with their 
lofty endeavor to regenerate and uplift humanity, with 



TIMELY AID 105 

their hope of being able to reveal to man his glorious 
destiny. And there is many a doubting man when it 
comes to the question of continued existence. You 
ask for no proof that personality survives bodily de- 
composition, but I would like to see this thing demon- 
strated. I would, indeed. It is not enough for me that 
Mrs. Eddy says: 'Any evidence of death is unreal, 
it contradicts the facts of being.' It is not enough for 
me that the great evangelist Moody, left this assur- 
ance : 'Some day you will read in the papers that D. 
L. Moody of East Xorthfield, Mass., is dead. Don't 
you believe a word of it ! At that moment I shall be 
more alive than I am now. I shall have gone up high- 
er, that is all ; out of this old clay tenement into a house 
that is immortal, a body that death cannot touch, that 
sin cannot taint, a body fashioned like unto His glor- 
ious body. I was born in the flesh in 1837 ; I was born 
in the spirit in 1856. That which is born of the flesh 
may die. That which is born of the spirit will live 
forever.' No, that is not enough. Though all of our 
religious reformers proclaim 'no death,' the weight of 
their testimony is as nothing to me compared with the 
assurance of one individual who has passed through 
the dream called death. Paschal Randolph in his book 
'Dealings with the Dead,' claims to have received from 
his dear girl friend, Cynthia, these words : 'Dead ! 
this it is to be dead! thought I. How blind, how deaf 
we are not to see and hear and know that all things tell 
of life, life, life, being real and true ; while nothing, 
nothing in the great domain of our God, speaks one 
word of absolute death, of a blotting out of soul.' 
Now, I say, Clara, if such a thing is possible, let me 
receive my assurance of the existence of the Great Be- 
yond from those who know, for until I do receive such 
assurance, I have none at all." 

Clara looked at him pityingly and reproachfully. 



106 TIMELY AID 

"Mr. Bell, I am very sorry to hear you speak like 
this. Do not let surrounding influence get the best 
of you. Do please listen to my warning voice and 
steer clear of all this occultism. There are mediums 
on every hand subverting and perverting their pow- 
ers to commercial and selfish uses. These Spiritual- 
ists would deceive, if possible, the very elect. I ad- 
mire your brother and his wife, but they have been de- 
luded. I am holding the thought that some day they 
will denounce it and accept the truth. The loss of your 
dear wife has made your feelings the more easily 
worked upon, and people here are trying hard to in- 
fluence, even to mesmerize you, but soon, I think, you 
will see the folly of it all, and Spiritualism will cease 
to have any attraction. Heed my warning, read no 
more on that line, but leave the dangerous subject 
entirely alone." 

What more she would have said we know not, for 
just at this juncture Mr. and Mrs. Bell returned. 

His cheery voice greeted them : 

"Well, children, how has the time passed with you? 
I have no doubt Miss Clara has been preaching Chris- 
tian Science. It's a great doctrine ; I can't dispute 
that. Let me tell you a story I heard to-night. Two 
serpents lay by the roadside ; seeing a man approaching, 
one said to the other, 'Let us bite that man/ but the 
other replied, 'No, I wouldn't if I were you. That 
man is a Christian Scientist. He will say, 'No hurt, 
ho bite, no snake,' then where will you be?' " 

All laughed at this joke except Clara. She retorted: 
"Very good. Your story goes to prove that the denial 
of the existence and power of evil, is the warning 
voice that keeps evil at its proper distance. I am glad 
that I ever accepted such a religion." 

Mrs. Bell and the minister clapped their hands and 
laughed still more heartily. And Edward, meeting 



T I MEL Y AID 107 

the directed glance from Clara's snapping eyes, noting 
her flushed cheeks and the indignant expression on her 
rosy lips, thus apologized : "I regret having repeated 
such a silly story. Something warns me, henceforth 
to keep silent, to wait until I can say something sensi- 
ble and impressive." 

"My brother," said the minister, "as that is some- 
thing you have never done from your youth up, if you 
heed this warning, we may expect never to hear your 
voice again." 

Edward left the room making use of the deaf and 
dumb alphabet, but no one understood his meaning. 



108 TIMELY AID 

CHAPTER XVII. 
The Founder of Mental Healing. 

WHAT a beautiful place I" said Clara Vader to 
herself, as she walked out into the garden 
and grounds and looked back at the large 
white house with green blinds, nestling 
among the trees "The Home on the Hillside. " 

"In the laying out of the grounds and in the choice 
and cultivation of the flowery nothing more perfect 
could be desired. It is an ideal morning, the dew is on 
the flowers, the rays of the newly risen sun are just 
glinting through the trees, the birds are fluttering and 
singing in their gladness, but I am not happy, though 
I am made to feel at home here." Then came a deep 
sigh, "But they are Spiritualists." 

She chose a rustic seat in a shady nook. 

Mrs. Bell was also taking an early morning walk 
and came unexpectedly upon her. At the first glance 
she noticed the troubled look on the girl's face and 
asked for the meaning. 

"Well, seeing you have asked the question, I do not 
like to be told as I am by your husband quite fre- 
quently, that Mrs. Eddy in his opinion, is not the dis- 
coverer and founder of metaphysical healing, and that 
Spiritualists have always understood it. Mr. Bell is 
either mistaken, or he takes pleasure in trying to rob 
Mrs. Eddy of her just deserts." 

Mrs. Bell smiled sweetly and answered in gentle 
tones : 

"You must not mind w T hat my husband says. He 
does not always choose his words wisely. He loves 
his church dearly, and that is all right, but I often 



TIMELY AID 109 

tell him, that there is a little too much sectarianism 
about him. He is right ; Spiritualists do heal through 
the power of suggestion. He has experienced the heal- 
ing. 

"And we have several old books telling of Divine 
Healing among the Spiritualists away back in the six- 
ties. Spiritualism gives the broadest freedom of 
thought. A few of its members trust to materia 
medic a. Others la} 7 more stress upon hygiene. Others 
trust to magnetic treatments. But mental healing is 
the rule among them." 

"Yes, Airs. Bell, but let me read to you from my 
'Sentinel' here, the difference between Christian 
Science treatment and your 'suggestive mental ther- 
apeutics' : These things do not come under the same 
classification, for Christian Science healing is not ac- 
complished on the same basis. The suggestions of the 
hypnotist emanate from the mortal mind, whose con- 
cepts are a mixture of good and evil beliefs, and do 
not involve spiritual ideas, which are the emanation 
of divine principle ; hence the effect of such sugges- 
tions could not be uplifting and spiritualizing, although 
the suggestion of physical health might produce in 
the subject a temporary relief from his ailments. To 
the uninformed the results of suggestive mental 
therapeutics and Christian Science may seem to be 
identical, but the fact remains that there is but one 
right method of healing, namely the one followed by 
Christ Jesus, which is accepted and employed by Chris- 
tian Scientists to-day." 

"Clara, they are criticizing the method by which I 
was healed, after the doctors had pronounced my case 
incurable," said Airs. Bell. "My healing proved to be 
something more than temporary relief. It occurred 
several years ago. My cure is permanent. It is a mis- 
taken belief you hold that the 'Mental Scientists/ 



110 TIMELY AID 

would leave God out of the question. Not so in the 
books and papers I have studied. They teach that 
to be healed physically we must be healed morally, 
that the recreative work must be commenced and 
carried on from within or not at all. Now who is 
the founder of Mind Cure? The Scriptures teach 
the power of mind over matter, but for many cen- 
turies, this method of healing was lost or nearly so ; 
the Christian Scientists, students of Mrs. Eddy, 
would give her credit for all the enlightenment we have 
on this subject. We meet Spiritualists who feel equal- 
ly certain that the re-discovery of the potent powers of 
thought came through their channel and as proof they 
point to the teaching of Andrew Jackson Davis and 
other great seers. 

"Clara, I would like to point out some of the ideas 
that were in the air at the time Mrs. Eddy was penning 
'Science and Health/ Spiritualists, without the use of 
medicines were then healing the sick. There is no use 
of any one's trying to dispute it. In their books and 
in their lectures the truth was being proclaimed. Yes, 
the very same truths that your church advocates were 
being given to the world. I am not making an arbitrary 
assertion, but stand ready to prove this any time that 
you will permit. These ideas, I say, were in the air 
and Mrs. Eddy imbibed them, perhaps insensibly im- 
bibed them — just how it happened I cannot say. 

"In an old Spiritualist book 'Dealings with the Dead 5 
by Paschal Randolph, we are told: 'The bad pas- 
sions, as envy, strife, anger, lust and revenge, not only 
destroy the body, but also mar the spirit/ This book 
was copyrighted in the year 1861. Mrs. Eddy copy- 
righted Science and Health in the year 1875 and in 
her book we read: /Lurking error, envy, revenge, 
malice or hate, will perpetuate or even create dis- 
ease/ 



TIMELY AID 111 

"This man tells that he saw two men in warm dis- 
putation. They lost their temper, and he learned this 
lesson, that mental excitement would react physically, 
and in running its course, bring on inflammation of 
the brain, a positive fever. 

"Now, in your text book Mrs. Eddy says : 'Inflam- 
mation is an excited state of mortal mind that is not 
normal.' " 

"I know she does, but the knowledge came to her 
without consulting Spiritualism," said Clara. 

"That may be true, as in the case of the invention of 
the telephone. Alexander Bell and Elisha Gray, un- 
acquainted with each other, unacquainted with each 
others works, entered their discoveries at the patent 
office on the same day. Mr. Bell has the name of being 
the inventor. Mrs. Eddy may be justified in saying 
that she has borrowed nothing from Spiritualism. But 
it is another thing when, in the spirit of criticism, she 
declares 'Spiritualism is wholly apart from Christian 
Science/ On another page of 'Dealings with the 
Dead/ we find these words : 'The w T ill is Lord of 
man's accidents and incidents, and if his reason guide it 
well nothing can withstand its force. So far can this 
power be carried and exerted that pain may be over- 
come and even death itself be kept at bay.' ' 

"There, Mrs. Bell," said Clara, "is where you see 
a resemblance between the teachings. I do not. Mrs. 
Eddy denounces the exercise of human will. Be it 
understood that will-power is not a factor in our heal- 
ing." 

"Really, Clara, I cannot grasp Mrs. Eddy's mean- 
ing," said Mrs. Bell. 

"The will is not a dangerous agency, if reason guide 
it well, that is toward God — Good. And there is a 
place in the book where Mrs. Eddy says : 'Instead of 
blind and calm submission to the incipient or ad- 



112 TIMELY AID 

vanced stages of disease, rise in rebellion against them/ 
What objection can a person have to a man's willing 
to be good or willing to be well? Who can show me 
the harm in it ? 

"Mrs. Eddy seems to have a diction all her own 
and her followers will take you up on many points. 
For example, if you say 'I am spirit/ they will tell you 
that is not correct. We should say 'man is spiritual/ 
Ask them if they do not look upon man as being im- 
material substance, they will answer yes. Inform them 
that Mr. Webster defines spirit as immaterial substance 
and their reply will be' Mrs. Eddy says man is not 
spirit, man is spiritual/ 

"To all our teachings they make objections. Clara, 
I am one among thousands who have received benefit 
through Spiritualism. I say nothing against your way 
of healing, you should say nothing against mine. The 
disciple John came to Jesus complaining, 'Master we 
saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he fol- 
loweth not us ; and we forbad him because he fol- 
loweth not us/ Jesus replied, 'Forbid him not; for 
there is no man which shall do a miracle in nr£ name, 
that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not 
against us is on our part/ Clara, if you can testify 
that there is healing efficacy in Christian Science, 1 can 
testify to the same for Spiritualism. I might turn to 
some of my old books and read you dozens of cases 
of healing independent of drugs or surgery, that Spir- 
itualists claim to have experienced in days before Mrs. 
Eddy was healed or taught the rule of healing. I 
might take you to hundreds of living witnesses who 
have relied upon Spiritualism and have received all 
they could ask or hope for; but what good would it 
do ? My stories would have no charm for you. In the 
end you would say: 'That is not Christian Science/ 
It is an undisputed fact, even by the. woman herself, 



TIMELY AID 113 

that before 'Science and Health' was written, Mrs. 
Eddy went to P. P. Quimby, in Portland, Me., and 
asked for treatment. Materia Medica had failed her 
and here apparently she was receiving help. I cannot 
say whether C. R. Edwards was familiar with facts 
in the case, and so competent to speak with authority ; 
but he tells us in his book "Chris-To-Lu-Tion:' P. P. 
Quimby, for many years prior to 1863, practiced 
'Mental Healing' with marvelous success. He did not 
believe in church creeds, but was noted for his efforts 
to do good, and his faith in some invisible power to 
heal the sick in answer to his earnest desire. Quimby 's 
treatment was first an explanation of what he believed 
then, not audible prayer, but silent mental work. 
Quimby thought that his success demonstrated the cor- 
rectness of all his theories and his opinions ; especially 
his notion that disease was not a reality, only a belief.' ' 

"Well," retorted Clara, "that is what this man says, 
but if you will read what Mrs. Eddy has to say on the 
subject, when accused of having taken many of her 
ideas from Quimby's conversations and manuscripts, 
you will find that the man had no definite idea of how 
his healings were accomplished, simply called it 'elec- 
tricity' and had no truths to impart to her." 

"Then," said Mrs. Bell, "we will not argue longer. 

"Let them acknowledge this good woman as being 
the discoverer and founder of Christian Science. 

"I am not saying, nor insinuating that Airs. Eddy is 
not original in any way, that her writings are in every 
instance borrowed. You undoubtedly think I am try- 
ing to claim all the credit for Spiritualism. I am not. 

"Now let me point to the teachings of a man of the 
medical profession, whose religious views no one can 
tell us to-day. Recently I enjoyed the privilege of 
looking^ through some very old volumes owned by a 
ladv whose name and address I am unable to ^ive. 



114 TIMELY AID 

These books had been in her family for more than 
one hundred years. 

" 'Domestic Medicine' by Dr. Buchan of London, 
England, bore the date of 1785, but was written sixteen 
years previous thereto. This book claimed my atten- 
tion and caused me to exclaim : 'There is no new thing 
under the sun.' Dr. Buchan, one hundred and thirty- 
nine years ago voiced my sentiments : T think the ad- 
ministration of drugs always doubtful and often 
harmful and would much rather teach how to avoid the 
necessity of them than how they should be used. The 
influence of fear.' This much I had copied when in 
order to catch my train, I had to drop the book and 
run. But I do remember reading that the influence of 
fear was to bring on disease, that all pain and disease 
could be attributed to inharmonious states of mind. 
He had found cancers prevalent among Sisters of 
Charity and in his opinion these good women were suf- 
fering from the effects of religious melancholy. He 
traced all physical effects to mental causes. Just as 
mental healers, under their various names, are doing 
to-day. On several pages of the book he cautioned his 
readers to guard against fear and all evil thoughts ; 
and he recommended cheerfulness and like attributes 
as the very best remedies. 

"Have I answered the question 'Who is the re-dis- 
coverer of Mental Healing? I do not claim that I 
have. I simply have this to say : Let us not forget the 
name of Dr. Buchan, but remember him as a man ahead 
of the age in which he lived. 

"Now, if our doctors had but taken up these few 
seeds of truth, planted so long ago, and elaborated 
upon the subject, they might have arrived at something 
more deserving the name of science than that which 
they now offer. 'He came unto His own and His own 
received him not.' 



TIMELY AID 115 

: 'The light shineth in darkness and the darkness 
comprehendeth it not/ Looking for those who have 
taught and practiced Mental Healing, we can go back 
farther than the much talked of Dr. Quimby of a half 
century ago or that great spiritual healer, Dr. Newton. 
We can go back farther than Dr. Buchan of a century 
and a half ago. 

"He who has a knowledge of the wonderful Yoga 
teachings has broadened out and knows that no in- 
dividual of this age or any other is entitled to monop- 
oly or a corner on truth. The Orientals possessed a 
knowledge of the power of mind over matter. 

"The study of occultism as taught by select teachers, 
most of them advocates of the Spiritual Philosophy, is 
not only very interesting but very helpful. When a 
man has never given Spiritualism an hour's study he 
should be silent as to its errors and deficiencies. It 
may appear to you that I am claiming that Mrs. Eddy's 
teachings are stolen from B.uchan, Davis, Quimby, 
Randolph, Berkeley or from some one else. But that 
is not the point I wish to make. You have just made 
the assertion that people everywhere are appropriat- 
ing Mrs. Eddy's truth to themselves. Clara, remem- 
ber this, if you wear away Mrs. Eddy's dress she is 
left without that garment; but truth cannot be stolen. 
You can put on her spiritual garment and she is still 
in possession of the same she had before. We have 
been trying to answer the question 'Who is the found- 
er of Mind Cure. The more enlightened we become 
upon this subject the more it looks like an act of pre- 
sumption to point and say with unrestricted admira- 
tion: 'Here is the discoverer and founder.' It is not 
for me to say that Mrs. Eddy had ever read one line 
in Spiritualism before she penned her books and es- 
tablished her church. Here is how brother John ex- 
pressed himself: 'As an unprejudiced outsider I look 



116 TIMELY AID 

upon Christian Science and Spiritualism as twin-sis- 
ters, but not very loving ones. 

"Sad that that last clause has to be added. 

"Mrs. Eddy says that she has never dabbled in Spir- 
itualism. Therefore, I cannot accuse her of borrowing 
from us. She says that the Bible was her only text- 
book, that she had no other guide, that to her, Christian 
Science has been a direct revelation. Surely she ought 
to know if any one, so there let it rest." 

"Yes, I think we had better," said Clara. "It is time 
now for me to return to the house and look after 
Hazel." 



TIMELY AID 117 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

The Difference Between Christian Science and 
Spiritualism. 

INCREDULOUS as it may seem, the Rev. John 
Bell from his first day's lesson in Spiritualism, 
hungered and thirsted for more light on the 
subject. He attended all the services and eag.- 
erly drank in every word. He devoured his brother's 
books, thought of this glorious truth by day and 
dreamed of it by night. 

He sought its every phenomena. He was surprised 
at finding himself so receptive, but then Spiritualism, 
Mental Science, The Xew Thought, and all these 
things were so very different from what he had ever 
imagined them to be. He could see now that secta- 
rianism had blinded him. Unbridled criticism against 
Spiritualism is almost everywhere indulged in, but 
there is encouragement in the prophecy of the poet 
Sickles : 

"After a while the clashing creeds 
That lead to strife and hate with men, 

Will yield to our superior needs 

And love will prompt the lip and pen." 

Not another word did the Rev. John Bell have to 
say against it. The pregnant truth, "Perfect God and 
perfect man," now appealed to him as a beautiful 
thought, where once such a teaching had horrified 
him, as well as all the other teachings contained in 
this new doctrine. 

Clara was not so easilv converted. She could not 



118 TIMELY AID 

forget that Mrs. Eddy had given warning against 
Spiritualism and that should be sufficient reason why 
any good Scientist should steer clear of the cult. 

They were all together one evening. Edward Bell 
was pointing out the merits of Spiritualism, John 
Bell not referring to its demerits, but quietly listening 
with a look of interest and credulity upon his face, 
Clara, being in fear lest her beloved minister would be 
over influenced and would put confidence therein, as- 
sayed to speak. "Excuse me, Mr. Bell, but as to the 
things you are telling about seeing and hearing from 
those who have departed, I must speak my mind free- 
ly, these things cannot be. Mortal sense bears false 
testimony ; it is always deceiving us. Things that ap- 
pear to be are not. Mrs. Eddy has given us, in our 
text book 'Science and Health/ one whole chapter of 
warnings against Spiritualism. Now to prove the im- 
possibility of spirit return, she gives this illustration: 
'The caterpillar transformed into a beautiful insect, is 
no longer a worm, nor does it return to fraternize 
with or control the worm. Such a backward transfor- 
mation is impossible in science." 

"Very true," replied Edward Bell. "Logical rea- 
soning so far as it goes; but let us look at this both 
pro and con, as there are always two sides to every 
question, two ways of looking at things. Rev. S. Weil, 
a Spiritualist, in his book entitled the 'Religion of the 
Future/ says : 'The transformed caterpillar, now a 
winged butterfly, soaring freely in its new element, 
the air, in which as a caterpillar, it could not soar, can 
certainly visit the old cabbage field; and if it were 
endowed with intelligence enough, and its mortal 
friends were susceptible, might be conceived as being 
even anxious to reveal its presence.' Clara, no amount 
of arguing on your part, or even Mrs. Eddy's saying 
that 'When the Science of Mind is better understood, 



TIMELY AID 119 

Spiritualism will be found mainly erroneous, can con- 
vince me that our departed friends now invested 
with a spirit-body or thought-body, like the one worn 
by Jesus when he passed through closed doors, cannot 
return and converse with their friends still in earth- 
life. Leaving out angelic forms and voices, and one 
or two minor things, why, my dear girl, the beliefs of 
your church and those of mine are almost identically 
the same. And if you have a text-book replete with 
spiritual instruction, I say you are getting it, not di- 
rectly but indirectly from Spiritualism. As I have 
heard Air. Austin, our pastor, say : 'Christian Scien- 
tists and Theosophists, all children of the Spiritual 
philosophy, sometimes, like naughty children, abuse 
their mother. 

"Mrs. Eddy never could believe in Spiritualism, and 
she has borrowed nothing/' retorted Miss Clara. 

"I am not accusing Airs. Eddy of having stolen any 
of her ideas, but I stick to the assertion that her ideas 
are not so new as they might be. Let Spiritualists 
branch out under new names if they must. If Spirit- 
ualism is the mother and she gets abuse, well what of 
it? It is the nature of all true mothers to deeply love 
the aggressive child. And I, as a Spiritualist, can say I 
love the Scientists — you especially. If people are climb- 
ing heavenward it is foolish for us to care what path 
they may choose to take. Any way to get there. The 
principles of the negro Sam, in Airs. Stowe's 'Uncle 
Tom's Cabin,' suit me. He believed in flopping some 
times. He had talked first on the side of the Master 
Shelby, and then on the side of the mistress, and ex- 
cused himself by saying: Tt was conscience that sent 
me after Lizzy. I really 'spected Mas'r was sot on my 
bringing her back. When I found misses was sot the 
contrar, dat ar was conscience more yet. So, yer see, Ts 
persistent either way I think is right. I sticks up to con- 



120 TIMELY AID 

science and holds on to principles. Dis yer 'sistency's a 
thing what ain't seed into very clar, by most anybody. 
Now, yer see, when a fellar stands up for a thing one 
day and night, de contrar de next, folks ses (and natur- 
ally enough dey ses), why he ain"t persistent. But let's 
look into it. I hopes the gen'lmen and der fair sex will 
'scuse my usin' an or'nary sort o 'parison. Here! I'm 
a tryin' to get top o' der hay. Wal, I puts up my 
larder dis yer side; 'tan't no go; — den, cause I don't 
try dere no more, I'm persistent in wantin' to get up 
which ary side my larder is ; don't you see ?' 

"But now, Clara, I think if the Christian Scientists 
had left the ladder in its first position they would have 
been just as sure of getting to Heaven. I am afraid 
that you and brother will have to change the position 
of your ladders, and I guess that I can be persistent in 
letting mine remain where it is and climb to Heaven 
by the Spiritualist route." 

"If I may be allowed to speak plainly," retorted the 
girl, "you are always more persistent than consistent." 
"Just what you seem to be, Clara, so it's six to one and 
a half dozen to the other, isn't it?" 

" Well I am both persistent and consistent in saying, 
that the man who understands Christian Science will 
find there almost nothing in common with Spiritualism. 
But if he should, let him remember Mrs. Eddy's advice 
in her chapter on Christian Science and Spiritualism. 
The more closely error simulates truth, the more 
impotent it becomes as a belief. The nearer a false 
belief approaches truth, without passing the boundary 
where, having been destroyed by divine Love, it ceases 
to be an illusion, the riper it becomes for destruction." 
"Well, Clara, I have met some Spiritualists who 
wouln't speak a good word for Christian Science, nor 
do they like it when people tell them their doctrines are 
very much alike, I never could see that I resemble my 



TIMELY AID 121 

brother John, although I have often been told that I 
did ; some one met us today, and remarked that he 
could hardly tell one from the other. If I could judge 
by the expression of John's countenance, he felt very 
much offended, and I am sure I did/' 
There was a tendency with Clara, every time she 
thought of Spiritualism, to look for imperfection ; it 
was the same with Edward Bell every time he thought 
of Christian Science. Man usually finds what he looks 
for. Mr. Bell picked up the little magazine, "Reason" 
and read a paragraph from a contribution by Rev. F. 
A. Wiggin. "Mankind is often found playing Spirit- 
ualism in the back yards of metaphysical schools of 
science, mental healing and Christian Science, with a 
lot of other children, but the fact will ever remain 
that all these are but borrowed phases of Spiritualism, 
and that sonner or later the loan will have to be can- 
celled, and that, too, to the powers that hold the note ; 
and that power will be found to be none other than 
Spiritualism,' He looked at Clara to see how she 
took it. Her face crimsoned, and her voice trembled 
with supressed emotion. 

"How abusive ! Poor Mrs. Eddy," she said. "Let 
them say what they will, had it not been for this 
woman's spiritual illumination and her courage to give 
it to an unbelieving world we would be in darkness 
today. Truth has come to the world through Mrs. 
Eddy, and others try to claim the honor." 

"I notice, Clara, every time I speak of there being 
any resemblance between Christian Science and Spirit- 
ualism, it seems to nettle you. Our churches differ 
somewhat, that is true, and if it will please you better 
to hear of their differences, I will talk on that line. 
Clara, I can love the fundamental doctrines of your 
church for the reason, pardon me for saying it, they 
are so much like ours. But I am sure I could not 



122 TIMELY AID 

easily or even conscientiously fall in love with, 
or subscribe to many of your by-laws. Why do 
your members refuse to read our books and period- 
icals, or anything going by the name of "Mental 
Science/' "Divine Science/' "New Thought/' etc? 
"A Spiritualist will read any doctrine. "It is one of 
our by-laws that no member of the Mother Church 
shall study mesmerism" said Clara. We have some- 
thing higher and farther advanced and have no desire 
to go back into the old thought. Scientists do not care 
to study and circulate these things, simply because 
they have gotten above them. An advanced pupil has 
no desire to go back into the primary department." 
"You think then/' replied Edward, "that to be broad- 
minded would cause confusion of thought? Is this bou- 
quet any the less attractive because it consists of a vari- 
ety of flowers, sweet-peas, nasturtiums and pinks? Is 
the treble of a song, marred by having the lower mel- 
odies join in? And so I say that a church, by looking 
for and accepting the good in all may add to its har- 
mony rather than destroy it. Taking you at your own 
word, I see that, like other loyal Scientists you are of 
the opinion that what Mary Baker G. Eddy can't teach 
you is not worth knowing. Now you may give me Mrs. 
Eddy, if you like for one meal a day ; but I cannot take 
her for breakfast, dinner and supper. I would not if I 
could, and could not if I would take away from her, her 
just deserts ; but if I may be allowed to criticise, I 
should say her church looks up to her too highly, even 
to the point of worship. They use her name too fre- 
quently, and I would like to see her followers a little 
more moderate, that is all. Christian Scientists, by 
their sectarianism, are injuring themselves and their 
cause more than they know. Now I would like to 
question the why and wherefore of some of the by- 
laws I find in your manual : — "Members of the Church 



TIMELY AID 123 

of Christ Scientists, shall not belong to any secret 
societies or clubs, where either sex is excluded, except 
the Free Masons/' "Why do they make an exception of 
the Masonic order, the father of all lodges ?" "That is 
not for us to question ; undoubtedly Mrs. Eddy knows 
best/' replied Clara. "O, I didn't know ! I have heard 
blood-curling yarns about the dangers one may 
incur if he does ought to offend the Masons. I thought 
perhaps the Scientists felt as I do when I meet a 
ferocious dog; I pat him on the head and say, "good- 
fellow/' "Why this law : 'Christian Science shall not 
be taught to a Catholic without the consent of his 
priest?' It seems to me that if it's right to proselyte 
among Methodists, Baptists and other people, no ex- 
ceptions should be made. Do they fear Roman Cath- 
olicism?" 

"We are given this by-law and no doubt Mrs. Eddy 
had some good reason for making it." 

"Let me speak of one other. They must refuse ad- 
mittance to the Sunday School service all except the 
officers, teachers and children under the age of fifteen, 
None first admitted above the age of twelve. Why 
have you such a by-law as this?" 

"Mrs. Eddy stands upon a higher pinnacle than do 
any of us, and we are willing to follow her instruc- 
tions and trust to her safe guidance ; she knows better 
than any one else what is good for the cause." 

"Just the answer I expected and a very satisfactory 
one indeed," said Mr. Bell. "Of course this is none 
of my business and it is not for me to dictate what 
others should or should not do, but I certainly would 
protest, were I one of them, against some things in 
Christian Science. I say let each and every man think 
for himself and when it comes to separating the chaff 
from the wheat do his own work. As it looks to me 
your Leader has alwavs been able to enclose her fol- 



124 TIMELY AID 

lowers behind a barbed wire fence, tie them like calves 
to a stake, and say, "Thus far and no farther — Here in 
my books is all the food you need or should have/ 

"Mr. Bell, we are furnished with all the food we 
need and such as satisfies and he who refrains from 
partaking of both good and evil stands in no danger of 
being poisoned/' 

"Now, Clara we will go back to that Sunday School 
by-law. The gospel of Jesus was for all nations, rich 
and poor, white and black, young and old, and none 
other satisfies me. Now if what is taught in their 
schools is good for a child to learn, it must also be 
good for those farther advanced in years, and if erron- 
eous teaching is creeping into the Sunday Schools, then 
be careful of the children ; for it is the mind of the 
little one that grasps most quickly and longest retains. 
Looking at this matter candidly, what could have 
prompted the passing of such a by-law ? I fancy I am 
able to read between the lines and discover the one 
word, avarice. I may err in judgment, but was not 
this Sunday School law passed to promote Class in- 
struction? Considering that your Leader plainly tells 
you in your text book : — 'Never record ages/ the pass- 
ing of such a By-law appears to me inconsistent. That 
tight-fisted copy-right is another thing I do not like 
about Christian Science. What attraction have green 
fields, luscious fruits and fragrant, beautiful flowers, all 
fenced in and signs up, 'Personal Property/ 'Keep ofif 
the Grass/ 'No Trespassing,?' "Science and Health" 
may be an extraordinary work, a most helpful book for 
a person to own and have. Its author may excel all 
others, past, present and future, she may even be, 
what I believe she claims, that woman prophesied in 
Scripture as hiding leaven [Truth] in three measures 
of meal [Three modes of moral thought, science, the- 
ology, and medicine], until the whole was leavened 



TIMELY AID 125 

[made light.] But admitting all this, see how far, how 
very far your people go. Let me quote the exact words 
of one of your Christian Science lecturers, we have 
them in a "Sentinel" you loaned us : 'We confine our- 
selves to the Bible, to the works of our beloved Leader, 
and to the authorized literature of our dear church. 
Have we time for aught else? Is there, really, aught 
else? These are the words of Sue Mims. So you see 
.according to your denominational paper, and author- 
ized lecturer, Christian Science would push into the 
"background, out of sight, out of hearing, all good from 
any other source, having no time for it. Now, Clara, 
if that is not narrow r sectarianism of the deepest dye, 
please name it?" Clara thought it time for the dis- 
cussion to end and saying, "Let us agree to disagree," 
she sought the quiet and privacy of her room, where 
she earnestly declared against all the errors connected 
with Spiritualism. She felt the necessity of being pro- 
tected from the surrounding evil in her otherwise 
pleasant, new home. As she was leaving the room, with 
her dignified, self-assured air, Edward Bell pro- 
nounced hers a hopeless case and believed he might as 
well give up any further attempts at her conversion. 
But wait, perhaps Mrs. Bell will yet be able to show 
the girl that there are worse things in this world than 
Spiritualism, even though Mrs. Eddy does say in 
Miscellaneous Writings, 'Spiritualism and Mesmerism 
are wholly apart from Christian Science/ " 



126 TIMELY AID 



CHAPTER XIX. 

The Likeness between Christian Science and 
Spiritualism. 

CLARA had won the name of Miss Persistent; so 
obstinate was she that it was not often anyone 
attempted to talk to her on religious matters. 
Polly was her tormentor ; everytime she came 
within sight of the bird's cage, she would cry out, "Mrs. 
Eddy says." One day the girl freely spoke her mind to 
Edward Bell: "Sir, I do not think you have done any- 
thing to be proud of ; is it not enough that pulpit and 
press should slander Mrs. Eddy? that her son should 
sue for what he does not deserve? that persecution 
should be heaped upon her from every hand? that 
heretics should rise up in her church and follow after 
other teachings, but you must needs teach a bird to 
speak disrespectfully and irreverently of a dear old lady 
past eighty-six years of age? Mrs. Eddy has done more 
for humanity than any other man or woman, and who 
has ever been so persecuted? Edward turned to his 
parrot and demanded : "I want you to tell me all the 
mean things vou have ever said about Mrs. Eddy." 
And the bird 'replied : "Mrs. Eddy, Mrs. Eddy, Mrs. 
Eddy, says." "Upon my word and honor, Clara, I 
have never taught her to say one thing." 

It was a beautiful afternoon in summer, Mrs. Bell 
and Clara were seated beneath the grape-arbor and 
little Hazel was trying to catch the pretty birds flying 
among the branches. Clara had been studying her 
daily companion, "Science and Health'' when observ- 



TIMELY AID 127 

ing Mrs. Bell in a dreamy, listless mood she embraced 
the opportunity and handed her a Christian Science 
"Sentinel." After a time Mrs. Bell broke the stillness 
by saying: "I find some very truthful and good read- 
ing in this paper ; but here is one statement with which 
I cannot agree : 'No one on earth today, aside from 
Mrs. Eddy knows anything about Christian Science 
except as he has learned it from her or from her writ- 
ings and Christian Scientists are honest only as they 
give her full credit for this extraordinary work/ Now, 
Clara, dear, I have analyzed this and it seems to me 
that this little word "full" is a very big word after all. 
Would it not be better to say give her much credit, in 
place of full credit? While Christian Science is an 
advanced teaching, while as our pastor Mr. Austin 
says : 'There is a wonderful unlocking of human 
energies in the optimistic ideas taught by Christian 
Science, New Thought, Metaphysical Healing and 
the Spiritual Philosophy. Through them a wave of 
religious activity is now passing over the world, ana- 
logous in some respect to the spread of early Chris- 
tianity. There is a common feature about them all — 
their suppression of the "fear-thought." The Mind 
Cure movement is essentially a religious movement, 
and no unprejudiced observer can fail to recognize its 
importance.' While I'll willingly admit all this and 
much more for Christian Science, still I feel called up- 
on to say there are a few things taught there that I do 
disapprove, such as the proclaiming of what I have 
actually seen in your papers. 'We know that in Chris- 
tian Science we have the truth, the whole truth and 
nothing but the truth/ That is too broad a statement, 
one that will clog the gospel wheels and leave them 
standing in the narrow rut of sectarianism. My hus- 
band tells me that I make narrow sectarianism my 
hobby, that I am always and forever preaching against 



128- TIMELY AID 

it, but I can't help it. I wish creedism to keep entirely 
out of my life; I would not have it keep me from 
recognizing and accepting the good Christian Scien- 
tists may have to offer or the good in any sect. And 
I think it would hinder my progress should I say, 'My 
church is in possession of the whole truth/ Yes, my 
dear, there are one or two things in your church that 
I cannot pronounce good, When it comes to adoring 
Mrs. Eddy, as many of them very evidently do, I am 
not with them. Let them give this good and remark- 
able woman her due amount of love, gratitude and 
respect. Her people should love her to a certain ex- 
tent, not forgetting the Apostle's advice : 'Let your 
moderation be known unto all men/ Clara, one should 
never throw himself unquestioningly and unreservedly 
into any leaders hands. Christian Scientists do not 
hesitate to speak of their Text-book as 'our all-suffi- 
cient guide.' I have seen it in print more than once. 
I have in my home a Christian Science "Sentinel" in 
which Mrs. Eddy is referred to as ' Our wise and un- 
erring Leader' ; wise she may be and we hope she is 
both wise and good. Who but the all-wise could be 
an 'all-sufficient guide?' I would not dare make so 
broad a statement, as to speak of anyone as being un- 
erring. When I find a book saying in its Introductory, 
'In no sense should this book be regarded as exhaust- 
ive,' I expect to find more in said book than in the 
one claiming to be the sum-total of all knowledge and 
wisdom. Excelsior must ever be my motto. We read 
that concerning the things of God even the angels in 
Heaven desire to look into them. I have not yet found 
the book or books written by man or woman that I 
would dare say contained the whole truth. Mrs. Eddy 
has improved, enlarged and gone far beyond old theo- 
logy in many things. Christian Scientists heal the sick, 
that no enlightened person will dispute. But it seems to 




B. F. AUSTIN, B. A., D. D. 




PLYMOUTH SPIRITUALIST CHURCH 
ROCHESTER, N. Y. 



TIMELY AID 129 

me that often while they are healing the patient physic- 
ally, they are unconsciously afflicting with a still worse 
disease, and a lingering one, which for the want of a 
better name we will call churchianity. It is as plain 
as anything can be that the Christian Scientists are not 
willing to grant the Spiritualists, Mental Scientists, 
etc, a square deal and a fair hearing. They should, for 
the day of the bigot has passed. I suppose w 7 e Spirit- 
ualists are so bad and our teaching so entirely wrong 
that they fear being contaminated if they come in con- 
tact with us. Ebenezer .Wilson, the "Seer," became a 
Spiritualist in the year 1853. In his book "The Truths 
of Spiritualism" he says, 'We hold that there is no per- 
sonal devil, no local Hell, or Heaven, but that the 
Star of Progression hovers over the future world as 
well as this.' Was this erroneous? Then it was 
equally erroneous for Mrs. Eddy to insert in the book 
"Science and Health," copyrighted in the year 1875 : 
'Mortals need not fancy that belief in the experience 
of death will awaken them to glorified being. Univer- 
sal salavation rests on progression and probation, and 
is unattainable without them.' 

Beals Litchfield accepted of Spiritualism in the year 
1852. In his book "Forty Years Intercourse w T ith the 
Spirit World," he says : 'Our spirit friends tell us that 
passing through death does not change the mind, that 
the mind starts in spirit life just as it was when it 
left the earth form, and unfolds through the same 
process of growth that it did in earth life. Was this 
erroneous? Then it was equally erroneous for 
Mrs. Eddy to place in "Science and Health": — Tn 
the place where the tree falleth there it shall be ;' so we 
read in Ecclesiastes : 'As . man falleth asleep so shall 
he awake, as death findeth mortal man, so shall he be 
after death, until probation and growth shall effect the 
needful changes.' So you see, Clara, we teach very 



130 TIMELY AID 

much the same on the doctrine of universal progression. 
Was it wrong for this old-time Spiritualist, Mr. Wil- 
son, to say: 'We take no stock whatever in the muti- 
lated body of Jesus or in his wasted blood, but do in his 
philosophy and his great humanity? We love him as 
our elder brother. We do not worship him as a God. 
There was no more saving power in Jesus' blood, than 
there was in that of Judas/ Then it was equally 
wrong for Mrs. Eddy, a few years later, to say 'The 
material blood of Jesus was no more efficacious to 
cleanse from sin when it was shed upon the accursed 
tree, than when it was flowing in his veins as he went 
daily about his Father's business/ 

"Beals Litchfield says :-T cannot find language strong 
enough to express my abhorrence of that heathen doc- 
trine of the forgiveness of sin through the atoning 
blood of Jesus. The doctrines of blood atonement 
originated among the ancient heathen nations ; it has 
been handed down as truth, though nature and reason 
proclaim its falsity. Yes, the fact remains, man must 
work out his own salvation/ Was this erroneous 
teaching? Then it was equally wrong for Mrs.. Eddy 
to follow him with this teaching :-Tf truth is over- 
coming error in our daily walk, this is having our part 
in the at-one-ment. Jesus did life's work aright, not 
only in justice to himself, but in mercy to mortals, 
to show them how to do theirs, but not to do it for 
them or relieve them of a single responsibility/ So 
you see, Clara, we are also agreed on the atonement 
question. On the subject of man's inherent divinity 
and perfection how do we stand? Turning to my old 
book "Dealings with the Dead," penned by Paschal 
Randolph, we find:-'God who made us well knows 
that there is more of good than evil in our hearts, by 
virtue of our ancestry — Nature and Himself.' Again 
he says : — 'Be it remembered that beautv and sym- 



TIMELY AID . 131 

metry is natural to trees, even though storms, snow 
and fierce winds dismember and render them hideous ; 
so also goodness and virtue is natural to the human 
soul while vice and deformity are artificial and con- 
ditional acquisitions.' And again:-' We forget that 
society gains nothing by making a man think less of 
himself.' This was penned in 1860. Now turning to 
your " Science and Health" we read :-'The great truth 
in the Science of being that the real man was, is, and 
ever shall be perfect, is incontrovertible ; for if man is 
the image, the reflection of God, he is upright and God- 
like.' So you see. Spiritualists and Scientists are a 
unit in this that neither holds to the belittling thought : 
T am a poor, unworthy worm of the dust, as prone to 
sin as the sparks are to fly upward.' We are not 
braggadocios, simply because we declare, 'Man is 
perfect even as his Father in Heaven is perfect.' When 
a person washes dirt from his body he is not doing 
away with a part of himself, and likewise when we 
throw ofif sin and its efifects we deal not with any part 
of our real being, just with the artificial and conditional 
acquisitions, as this old-time Spiritualist writer puts it. 
In this again we are a unit, for you do not find either 
Scientists or Spiritualists forever harping upon the 
fall of man." 

"Mrs. Bell, there is no religious teaching but what 
has a little truth woven in among the errors. But, 
Mrs. Eddy tells us in our text-book 'When the Sci- 
ence of Mind is understood Spiritualism will be found 
mainly erroneous." 

"I cannot help what Mrs. Eddy says, I know that 
for sixty years Spiritualists have held to many, very 
many of the same thoughts that she expresses. Let 
me read from 'The Truths of Spiritualism,' a portion 
of E. V. Wilson's reply to a Presbyterian minister in 
the year 1870:-'You say there is no uniformity in our 



132 TIMELY AID 

creeds — we have none/ I can't now read it all, but 
among the things that he mentioned on which Spirit- 
ualists were a unit, I give you these : — 'God is spirit 
in whom we live, move and have our being. The only 
true way to worship Him is in spirit and in truth. We 
hold to one God and no more, infinite in matter and 
space, seen in the sunshine, felt in the storm and on 
this side the blue as well as beyond it, — His kingdom 
is within us. Hence He is ever with us. Your God 
is a great big man, a creature full of short comings 
and has to keep a great big burning hell always on 
hand to make His followers obey Him. Your God 
declares that He has anger, hate, revenge and scorn. 
Someties He is mighty, and sometimes He cannot pre- 
vail. You teach the Heaven and the mercy of God 
and His power to save — and yet concede the tremen- 
dous truth that your God is not able to cope with the 
Devil — and that the Devil gets the great majority of 
mankind, and God gets but a miserable minority of 
His own children/ 'And God saw everything that He 
had made and behold it was very good/ 'His mercy 
endureth forever/ Our God is love intensified and is 
always our friend and father. The Orthodox God is 
love, whose creed is revenge and hate. He gets his 
Ebenezer up, and burns and blows down temples dedi- 
cated to his name, knocks his minister's eyes out, kills 
little babies, and has just lately killed many thousand 
Americans to get rid of one of his own institutions, 
human slavery/ Now, my dear Clara, remember Mrs. 
Eddy did not obtain her copy-right on "Science and 
Health," until the year 1875. And as she and this 
man, as well as many other oldtime Spiritualist writers, 
stand in such close proximity in teaching it seems to 
me I have a right to take issue against your paper— and 
declare that one can be honest without giving her full 
credit for this extraordinary work." "O, Mrs. Bell, 



TIMELY AID 133 

if, as you say, you have read our text-book, I do not 
see how you can pronounce this dear, wonderful 
woman's teaching a counterfeit. But as Mrs. Eddy 
says : — Criticisms on her work are usually based on 'de- 
tached sentences or clauses, separated from their con- 
text.' You liken her works to this man's, but see how 
much more genteel and refined she is in manner of 
expression." 

"Well what of that, if she has expressed practically 
the same ideas? Mr. Wilson said to the Christians :- 
'Your God is a great big man/ Mrs. Eddy would ' 
say :-'You worship an anthropomorphic God.' and she 
says 'That God is a corporeal being nobody can truly 
affirm — He is Mind, Spirit, Soul, Truth, Life and 
Love, and fills all space.' Mr. Wilson says :-'The 
Spiritualist's God is love intensified — He is our friend 
and father. Your God is love whose creed is revenge 
and hate.' Mrs. Eddy says :-'The Jewish tribal Je- 
hovah was a man projected God, liable to wrath, 
repentance and human changableness. The Christian 
Science God is universal, eternal, divine Love, which 
changeth not and sendeth no evil and no sin upon man/ 
Turning to Mr. Wilson's book again, he mentions 
among the lessons that Spiritualism teaches — this :- 
'There is no forgiveness in this life or the after life, 
every penalty must be paid, there is no escape. Sins 
thought and committed bind us in chains, until the 
law of development and progression unfolds and re- 
lieves.' Mrs. Eddy says /The supposition that sin is 
pardoned while unforsaken, that happiness can be gen- 
uine in the midst of the sin, that the so called death of 
the body frees from sin, and that God's pardon is 
aught but the destruction of sin, — these are grave mis- 
takes/ You see, Clara, Spiritualists and Scientists are 
worshiping the same, loving, just, incorporeal God. 
Neither of us deify Jesus nor trust in his cleansing 



134 TIMELY AID 

blood, but we accept him as the mediator who voiced 
truth to that age. You will agree with this Spirit- 
ualist writer Mr. Wilson, when he says: 'We hold that 
there is a spirit inspiration in the Bible ; but that it is 
not plenary inspiration. 7 " 

"Mrs. Bell, I can see and am willing to admit, that 
there possibly may be a few truths, which these two 
churches hold in common; but not the things most 
essential. Those belong to Mrs. Eddy, and to her 
alone. To her and to her alone are we indebted for 
the revelation of the all-power of God and the power- 
lessness of Satan. This ; 'Evil calls itself something 
when it is nothing/ is the grand truth that came to her. 
Hear this quotation from Science and Health: There 
is no power apart from God. Omnipotence is all-power- 
ful, and to acknowledge any other power is to dis- 
honor God/ So there is one point on which we differ 
from you and all other churches. You do recognize a 
power apart from God." 

"Well Clara, I believe some Spiritualists do, but 
some do not." 

"Then tell me what your platform is? You cannot 
know where you stand, one believing one way and 
another some other." 

"To tell you exactly where we stand and always will 
stand, I cannot. It is to be hoped we will walk in the 
light/ There is no unfolding so long as one stands. 
Truth never changes ; but our conceptions of truth 
often change. One thing about Spiritualism that ap- 
peals to me is this, it refrains from impeding its ad- 
herents with fixed beliefs. In this church we have a 
right to free-thought; the one thing required is to 
'grow in grace and in a knowledge of the truth/ If 
Robert Ingersoll went astray in all else that he pro- 
claimed, I will agree with this : 'The clergy's pledge of 
fidelity to the creeds, is in effect an oath: 'So help me 



TIMELY AID 135 

God that I will never mentally advance.' In our 
church we are pledged to no belief or no text-book. 
And when you say that we do not attribute all power 
to God, I answer, many of our people do, and I consider 
them the most advanced. In the year 1860, Paschal 
Randolph penned in his book "Dealings with the Dead/' 
this sentence. 'Hell is experience with the unfit, im- 
proper and Untrue.' Notice the last word 'untrue'. 
There we have it in a nut shell. Did Jesus have any 
other definition for the Devil than this : 'He is a liar,' 
i. e., there is no truth in him. Let me read to you 
from "Forty Years Intercourse with the Spirit 
Spheres," by Beals Litchfield, one of Spiritualism's 
first mediums and lecturers. He relates a debate he 
held with some well meaning Methodist friends in 
the year 1872. (Air. Litchfield accepted Spiritualism 
in 1852) He says:- 'In trying to convert me from the 
errors of this doctrine, their fiery missiles (Satan and 
the battlements of Hell) fell harmless at my feet and 
were picked up without gloves and handled reasonably 
and logically, and in accordance with their Bible doc- 
trine until they were cooled, and the brimstone had 
disappeared. I said 'You believe God to be infinite in 
power, do you not?" 'Certainly we do.' was their 
reply. 'Do you believe the Devil has power to thwart 
the will and designs of God ?' 'Certainly not ; if the 
Devil had that power God would not be infinite in 
power.' I referred to the parable of the wheat and 
tares and asked them who was the enemy that sowed 
the tares? They replied: 'The Devil.' I told them 
'It was the Devil of ignorance. Ignorance is the only 
Devil I know anything about, and all evil deeds are 
the children of the Devil of ignorance.' Did not Mr. 
Litchfield give to the prince of evils an appropriate 
name? Ignorance is the root of superstition, distrust, 
fear and the whole list. Heaven's children are children 



136 TIMELY AID 

of wisdom. Every man must grow out of his ignor- 
ance. Only a knowledge of the truth can ever lift us 
above false claims and illusions. Listen to the words 
of our pastor, Mr. Austin: — 'Man needs deliver- 
ance from ignorance. This is his greatest foe, man's 
real devil. The old devil of orthodoxy is fiction, a 
tale of humanity's childhood. It is to be reckoned 
with the story of Blue Beard and Santa Claus, and 
other fictions. But the devil of ignorance is a real 
devil to be fought. Ignorance enslaves the mind, be- 
gets superstition, makes men cower before kings, and 
racks the soul with fear. ' Truth, emancipates, inspires, 
encourages.' There are many Spiritualists who will 
agree with Mrs. Eddy more or less even when it comes 
to her definition of evil. Yes, Clara,I know that when 
it comes to the allness of good and the nothingness 
of evil, Christian Scientists never fail to claim that 
as Mrs. Eddy's own discovery and are very con- 
servative. Nevertheless it is an old truth in Spiritual- 
ism, and my assertion can be based on facts and data 
accessible to all. Never have Spiritualists believed in 
a personal devil. Rev. S. Weil, pastor of the Spirit- 
ualist Church in Bradford, Pa., says in his book "The 
Religion of the Future," 'Evil is not an entity, is not 
something positive and enduring ; but is destined to 
be utterly expunged.' That great medium, healer and 
lecturer, Cora L. V. Richmond, pastor of the "Church 
of the Soul," in Chicago, says : — 'Evil did not originate. 
The necessity of naming the night darkness and the 
day light is a necessity that is relative and does not 
pertain to the absolute state. We are perfectly well 
aware that there is no absolute darkness : Evil is the 
absence of manifest good ; the negative, the night.' 
And I might go on quoting almost indefinitely, show- 
ing that Spiritualism teaches that Spirit, not matter, 
is a priori reality, that evil is not entity, etc. Yet 



TIMELY AID 137 

Scientists proclaim :-Tf we would be honest w r e must 
give Mrs. Eddy, full credit for all we know/ But, 
Clara, would still have it that Mrs. Eddy was entirely 
original, at least in one thing presented, and she met 
Mrs. Bell with the positive assurance that where this 
greatest of religious reformers came saying :-'Man is 
spiritual and not material.' she was presenting a dis- 
covery all her own. Mrs. Bell replied, "I can even 
take you upon your leading factor, namely 'All is Mind 
and Matter is naught.' According to this Paschal 
Randolph, whose book, "Dealings with the Dead," 
Alexander Brady copyrighted in the year 1861., matter 
is nothing, per se spirit is a priori reality, and organ- 
ism finds its definition in spirit. He declared that every 
existence was an out-sphering or an out-creation of 
mind. Spiritualism ever has taught and undoubtedly 
ever will teach the potent power of mind. It assures 
us, not that we are bodiless, but that these earthly 
tenements and the world in which we dwell are tribu- 
tary to mind, or plainly speaking, thought-bodies. 
My dictionary defines Spiritualsm in part as follows :.- 
'That belief or doctrine, according to which all that is 
real is spirit, soul or mind/ Our church declares in 
effect :- 'There is nothing on earth great but man, and 
in man, there is nothing great but mind/ In Paschal 
Randolph's book, written when Spiritualism was in its 
infancy, and before Christian Science had had its birth, 
I find this definition of man. It is terse, but I believe 
true :- 'All there is of man is his thought-power, the 
think is himself/ Let us select quotations from the 
two authors Paschal Randolph, and Mary Eddy, con- 
fining ourselves to the subject of mind over matter. 
How very similar are their definitions of Heaven. He 
says, T discovered that "up" was a condition of soul 
and spirit, and that to both time and space do not exist. 
She says, fourteen years later:- 'Heaven is not a local- 



138 TIMELY AID 

ity, but a divine state of mind, in which all the mani- 
festations of mind are harmonious and immortal/ 
There seems to be no end of the resemblance in their 
teachings though not exactly alike. He says :- 'What 
constitutes the ego ? What is the man ? The answer is, 
soul is a thing sui generis and unique/ She says: 
'What is the Ego, whence its origin? The ego man is 
the reflection of the Ego ,God, the image and likeness 
of perfect mind, spirit, soul, principle/ He says :- 
'Soul, the thinking principle, is larger, deeper, greater 
than this whole material globe/ She says:- 'Soul is 
spirit and spirit is greater than body; if spirit, mind, 
were within the body it would be smaller/ He says :- 
'All there is of man is mind, all there is of Deity is the 
same/ She says :- 'God is mind and God is all, hence 
all is mind/ He says :-'Whoever looks for a man must 
go below and above skin, flesh, muscles and bones to 
find him/ She says :- 'Man is not matter, made up of 
brains, blood, bones and other material elements/ 

He says :-'Thou and thy kind are active, self-moving 
thoughts of one great, eternal Thinker/ She says : 
'Man is the compound idea of infinite spirit, the spirit- 
ual image and likeness of God, the full representation 
of mind/ He says :- T think that nature is a system of 
active forces, even radiating from God, as beams from 
a star/ She says :- 'Man reflects and expresses the 
divine substance, or mind; but, God, is not in His 
reflection any more than the sun is in the ray of light 
which goes out from it/ He says :-T discovered that 
thoughts were living things endowed with a being in 
themselves/ She says :-'Metaphysics resolves things 
into thoughts, and exchanges the objects of sense for 
the ideas of soul/ 

He says :- 'The terrestrial world itself, is really 
spiritual, could mankind but perceive it/ She says :- 
'The spirituality of the universe, including man is the 



TIMELY AID 139 

only fact of creation.' He says :- 'Spirit is not matter/ 
She says :-'Spirit is not physical/ Clara began to fear 
that, Mrs. Bell would never cease showing up the like- 
ness in this respect so she thought she would play an- 
other card. She now told her friend that it did'nt mat- 
ter much about the rest, Mrs. Eddy had re-discovered 
the Christ method of healing. But, Mrs. Bell, reminded 
her that they had discussed this subject quite thorough- 
ly, not many days before. Clara, did not express it in 
words, but she put Mrs. Bell down as being a very 
stubborn and unreasonable person and one that would 
be hard to convert. They had been forgetful of the 
little child in charge, and now suddenly discovered 
that she had gone away. So the conversation was 
brought to an end, and a search in every direction was 
commenced. Hazel was found and kisses followed. 
Apparently there are times when evil works for good. 
If the child had not been lost who knows but that they 
might have been arguing yet? 



140 TIMELY AID 

CHAPTER XX. 

The Conversion. 

rrMTAT evening, following Mrs. Bell's plain talk 

with Clara, after Hazel had been cozily tucked 

J[ in bed and her tongue had ceased its prattle, 

Clara, as was her custom, went out and seated 

herself in the hammock, under the trees, there to enjoy 

the cool air and beauty of the summer eve. 

For some reason she did not find it easy longer to 
oppose Spiritualism and denounce it all as mortal mind 
error. Could it be she was "almost persuaded?" 

In spite of herself these thoughts would come up : 
There are so many truths we hold in common, and 
Spiritualism is the forerunner of Christian Science, 
and Mr. Bell's people are so intelligent and. good. 

While thus meditating she heard footsteps, and look- 
ing up she recognized in the dim light Hazel's papa. 

He inquired if he were intruding, and asked per- 
mission to sit by her. No objections being made to 
his company he remained. , He placed in her lap "Mis- 
cellaneous Writings," by Mrs. Eddy, saying as he did 
so, "My experience may dififer from that of others, but 
for me these works do not contain the milk of the 
word, but rather the meat. I dug deep and believe I 
have discovered much of value. I pronounce her books 
good, but I find them, in the main, weighty as Greek, 
filled with wordy-words and disconnected subjects. 
Even at the Church the truth seemed hidden. There 
was no sermon, only a read service from the Text-Book. 
But though it may be difficult to grasp the understand- 
ing, nevertheless Christian Science has found its way 
into thousands of homes ; satisfied many a questioning 



TIMELY AID 141 

mind, hungering heart and suffering body. Clara, I ask 
your pardon for the many unkind things I have said 
of your church in the past and now would make 
amends by pronouncing it — the most of it — a pregnant 
truth, an admirable teaching. Today I see Christian 
Science as one of the most beautiful and satisfying 
religions extant." 

Clara had longed for such a confession and now 
that he really was acceping the Truth, it seemed almost 
too good to be true. But as he proceeded her hopes 
fell. 

"I never can pronounce myself a [Methodist again," 
said he. "Now while I like much that is in your 
religion, Clara, Spiritualism, which is very much the 
same thing, appeals to me still more, and I confess 
that if I am not already a Spiritualist the indications 
are I very soon will be. Please read some of these 
books and papers I have brought you and see if you 
cannot find a close resemblance to your teachings.'' 

Clara accepted the loan, thinking "No one need know 
I am reading it. I have kept my ears and eyes closed 
so far, and I am not yet a member of the Mother 
Church at Boston, and hence under no restrictions. " 
[Mr. Bell continued — "Yes, I find much in Spiritualism 
to admire, and I am beginning to have great confidence 
therein. My faith has been strengthened very much 
during the past week, and I do not believe I shall have 
much trouble in convincing you that there is something 
in it. 

There has been a wonderful medium in this city, 
[Mrs. Tillie Reynolds, the Xew York State [Missionary. 
I was advised to go to her for a reading and I did so — 
A happy day for me — the day I saw Mrs. Reynolds." 

"O, horrors ;" thought Clara. "Visiting mediums ! 
What would not this good but deluded man confess 
to next? Surely he needed protection." 



142 TIMELY AID 

"Well," he continued, "I did not receive a message 
from my wife, or from anyone I had ever known in 
earth life. This woman told me she saw by my side a 
man, who said he wished, through her, to thank me 
for my kindness to and interest in his daughter 
knowing that his dear child would be to me a good 
and affectionate wife, and that with her my remaining 
years would be less lonely, he wished to encourage the 
union. Clara, are you willing?" 

"O, what was he saying?" Clara asked herself. He 
would marry again. She suddenly felt weak and faint. 
Mr. Bell was about to marry and perhaps her little 
Hazel, her all, would be taken from her. She thought 
he must have reference to that beautiful friend of Mrs. 
Bell's who was spending so many hours there discus- 
sing and explaining Spiritualism to the minister. 

Surely Spiritualism is the root of all evil ! Her 
companion's voice sounded far away and she could just 
faintly hear him repeating, "Clara, tell me, are you 
willing ?" 

Why was he asking her consent? If he wished to 
enter again into the bonds of matrimony, of course it 
was his privilege to do as he liked. 

But he had asked if she were willing and politeness 
called for an answer. Why was her voice so unsteady 
as she replied, "Yes, but I shall hate to part with 
baby," and still more falteringly, "and with you." 

Then trying to force a tone of interest in her voice : 
"Who, may I ask, is to be your future wife? Have 
I ever met her?" 

4 'God bles<= you, child ! Haven't you understood me? 
Who in this world could I want but you? O, Clara 
dear, it's your heart and hand I am seeking. I love no 
one else." 

The next she knew she was weeping ; whether tears 
were of joy or sorrow she could not tell, and the 



TIMELY AID 143 

minister held her in fond embrace with her head rest- 
ing upon his shoulder. 

He told her that while she could not fill the vacancy 
in his heart, could not take the place of dear Alice, yet 
she would always have her own place in his affections. 
And he knew that it would not be her desire, even, 
if such a thing were possible, that he should forget his 
angel wife. "But," he continued, "why do you still 
keep silent? Why do you keep me in suspense so 
long? Can't you return my ardent affection, or love 
me at least just a little? Will you, can you not promise 
to become my wife ?" 

At last she replied : "I think a great deal of you, 
and let me assure you I appreciate your offer ; but 
please do not repeat it, for Mr. Bell, I do not see how 
our marriage could be harmonious. You are a Spir- 
itualist and I am a Christian Sciensist. No, my dear, 
kind friend, I fear this union can never be." 

"So my admiration for Spiritualism would cause 
this rejection?" said he. "Clara, I could love and wed 
you even if you were a heathen. When will the time 
come that Christians shall cease to manifest this an- 
tagonistic spirit? When they shall say as they did in 
the days of the Apostles : 'We are all one in Christ 
Jesus/ A few take that stand now, and as we grow in 
grace we will be like the early disciples:' 'Standing 
fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for 
the faith of the gospel/ And, Clara, please don't re- 
ject me. I love you. As for religion, you can go your 
way. I will go mine. I can not accept this excuse. 
But tell me, have you any other?" 

"Air. Bell, only one. I cannot forget our different 
stations in life." 

"I, too, think of that," said he. "Little girl, while 
you are rich, I am comparatively poor." 

What could Mr. Bell mean bv such unreasonable 



144 TIMELY AID 

talk? It must be Spiritualism was turning his head. 
She had been told that it was an error causing much 
insanity. But her persevering lover soon made this 
clear to her. 

"Clara, it was your father that conversed with me 
through that clairvoyant. No, Clara, not that incred- 
ulous shake of the head. Let me prove my claim. In 
ancient times Moses saw an angel in the bush. This 
was his angel visitant's message: T have heard their 
groanings and I have come down to deliver them. 
God's laws are immutable, and if comforters ever were 
sent from above to mortals they can be sent again. 
Your father, who is not in reality dead, naturally 
would be watching over you. If the kingdom of God 
is at hand, as the Scriptures declare, then our de- 
ceased friends cannot be far away. Yes, I believe he 
has been watching and waiting for a chance whereby 
communication would be made possible and he could 
make his presence known to his children. Through 
this medium your long lost brother was located. I 
was assured that if I would write to a certain address 
in Detroit there we would find him. I have not been 
hasty in coming to you with this. I waited. I had 
sufficient confidence in the communication to investi- 
gate. And to-night, sweet Clara, I hold a letter in my 
pocket actually coming from your lost relative. In 
this letter he informs me that he has long wished he 
might find his sister, and that his foster parents ad- 
vertised through the press to find you. It was an- 
swered by a New York lawyer who held in trust 
property to the amount of several thousand dollars, 
willed to you by your mother's father. Your brother 
has his share and is anxiously looking forward to a 
meeting with you." 

They then went into the house and together they 
read the letter. 



TIMELY AID 145 

Overjoyed, the orphan girl kissed her brother's 
hand writing, saying : "Ever since I came into Chris- 
tian Science I have tried to realize that there is no 
separation, nothing lost in God's kingdom, and now I 
shall soon see my brother." 

- "Yes, and Clara, I would call this a proof that God 
does employ more than one agent to voice His truth. 
Xo one leader, no one church has a corner on the 
good, the beautiful and the true. Christian Science 
might have worked out your problem alone, as to that 
I cannot say. But I do think that the Scientists hold 
a wrong belief when they affirm : 'Christian Science 
and Spiritualism can no more mix than oil and water/ ' 

The next morning, while the family were alone in 
the dining room, John Bell proudly announced the 
engagement, saying : "Our little girl here is no longer 
to act as Hazel's nurse, she takes the more responsible 
position, that of the child's second mother." 

"O," exclaimed his sister-in-law, "this is so very 
sudden ! But you both have my congratulations." 

"That's the woman of it," said her husband. "I had 
courted Anna for five years, never looking at any other 
girl, supposing of course, she must know that I was 
most desperately in love, but when at last I rose above 
my timidity and mustered courage to propose, her re- 
ply was, 'O, Edward, this is so sudden.' But children, 
your confession is no surprise to me. Anyone with 
eyes in his head could have seen that you were both 
in love." 

"Anybody' d know you was in love," echoed Polly. 

"Well," continued Edward, "I will give my consent 
under one condition. That you are married at my 
house and by the Spiritualist minister." 

"My consent, my consent," again echoed the saucv 
Polly/ 



146 TIMELY AID 

"Well, I think we can agree to my brother's terms, 
can't we Clara?" 

"When Spiritualism has done so much for a person 
it would be the height of ingratitude to refuse that 
much/' she replied. 

"Good girl !" said a voice from the cage in the cor- 
ner. 

"Polly," said her mistress, "will you please be 
quiet." 

"Can't keep still," the bird responded. 

"Yes, you can, too." 

"Not only am I perfectly willing to be married by a 
Spiritualist minister," continued Clara, "I feel now as 
though I would like to join heart and hand with a 
Spiritualist minister." 

"Hallelujah!" and up to the ceiling went Uncle 
Ed's teaspoon. "So we're all Spiritualists at last! 
Well that's the only thing to be and this is just what I 
have long been looking for." 

Hazel, seated upon her uncle's lap, looked inquir- 
ingly up into his face and asked. "Is me one too?" 

"Well, yes, I guess you are, dear, do you want to 
be one?" 

"Yes, me like to be one." 

Polly, just as though she had understood holloawing 
out the oft spoken name : "Doctor Peebles, Doctor 
Peebles." 

"Polly," commanded her mistress, "did you not hear 
what I said, be quiet." 

"Polly can't keep still, can't keep still." 

"That girl has the zeal and shout of a Methodist, 
if only she had been brought up that way," was the 
proud and laughing comment of her master. Polly 
took offence in an instant. Dancing about her cage 
with feathers straight out, she shrilly shrieked : "Shut 
up, you old fool." 



TIMELY AID 147 

'Tolly you act to me like a Methodist/' continued 
her tormenting master. "Don't you like the Metho- 
dists, Polly?" 

"No use for Methodists, shut up. Fool. Fool!" 

"O, Edward Bell, you ought to be ashamed," said 
his wife. "Just see what wicked nonsense you have 
taught that poor, innocent bird." 

"Shame on you. Shame on you," repeated the 
parrot. 

They were leaving the breakfast room and she 
called after them : "Mamma, come back. I'll be good, 
I'll be good." 

But they w r ent away and were soon discussing plans 
for the future. The world looked very bright before 
them just then. 



148 TI M ELY AID 

CHAPTER XXL 

Opposition as a Flint. 

fHT^HERE is an old saying "The course of true love 

| never runs smooth/' but this seemed to be an 
J^ exceptional case. 

There was no one who opposed this union and 
as far as their love affairs were concerned everything 
went smoothly. Our young friends were quite as ar- 
dent in their love making as most others when court- 
ing, yet they found a little time left for religion. 

The Rev. John Bell soon notified the Conference of 
his newly accepted views. 

He was not granted a kind letter of dismissal, but 
was straightway accounted a heretic and his name was 
dropped as unworthy a place on the roll. 

Many an uncalled-for austere assertion fell from the 
ministerial lips, but the denounced clergyman intro- 
spected himself as a Methodist and realized that he 
was only being paid back in his own coin. The truth 
of this saying came forcibly upon him: "As ye sow 
so shall ye also reap." 

Said he to himself : "I, like the Apostle Paul, am ac- 
cepting the religion that I once dispised. Once I was 
its unkind, unjust foe; to-day I would proclaim this 
religion of the angels upon the house tops." However, 
the attitude of his former brethren touched his keen 
sensibility and it was well that Clara was there to 
cheer and comfort him. 

Opposition confronted her also. Her church had 
never bridged the Great Divide, had never given her 
any tests of the supernormal world and now that she 
felt a longing to be convinced that communication be- 



TIMELY AID 149 

tween the excarnate and incarnate world of spirits 
was possible, she found that she must take a firm stand 
and not allow the "Church of Christ Scientists" to 
head off investigation. . Previous to this time, she had 
always been pointed to as one having "a splendid un- 
derstanding." Xow they were looking at her with 
pitying eyes and saying: "She never had a very clear 
understanding of Science. If she had understood the 
truth better, these things would have held no attraction 
for her." 

Well-meaning friends came to labor with her. They 
begged of her not to give up Mrs. Eddy's teaching, 
"Truth unmixed with error." They quoted this verse 
in Ephesians : "Be not tossed to and fro and carried 
about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of 
men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait 
to deceive." 

"Ah, yes," thought she, "the very same Scripture 
that Orthodoxy quoted to me when I first began to in- 
vestigate Christian Science, and should the time ever 
come when a doctrine, under some other name, appeals 
to me and I turn again to study that which seems to 
be farther in advance, I'll wager there will be Spirit- 
ualists coming forward and trying to head me off with 
this same Scripture, for history repeats itself." 

Her Christian Science friends reminded her that 
according to Mrs. Eddy's teachings there was but one 
Spirit, one Soul, even God, hence Spiritualism was in 
error in teaching there were spirits many. The defini- 
tions found in Spiritualism seemed plainer and easier 
to grasp, namely : "I am a soul with a body. I can 
not predicate ownership of a soul. The soul is I. Each 
personal spirit lives, moves and has its being in the 
universal Spirit. Even as the many sun-beams are 
nothing but emanations from the sun, so the germ- 
souls are but parts of* the Great Over Soul." When 



150 TIMELY AID 

she repeated this to her Christian Science friends, they 
shook their heads and replied: "Mrs. Eddy says there 
is but one Spirit, not spirits many. She tells us that no 
human pen or tongue taught her the Science contained 
in our Text Book, and no pen or tongue can ever over- 
throw it. She is, in truth, the first person who ever 
interpreted the Scriptures in their true sense, and when 
she says this, she is not claiming too much." 

Clara gently informed them that the beautiful chap- 
ter Mrs. Eddy had written on prayer was almost, 
word for word, like the teaching on that subject in a 
book copyrighted in the year 1840 "Practical Hints 
to Universalists." By John G. Adams. One would 
think the same hand had penned them both. And she 
also informed them that Mrs. Eddy's writings very 
closely resembled those of the beloved and honored 
veteran Spiritualist, Andrew Jackson Davis, who copy- 
righted books in 1850. She was then in conversation 
with a room full of Christian Scientists. With united 
voice they denied the charge, disputed her point blank, 
yet not one among them had ever read a page of any 
of the books written by Andrew Jackson Davis. 

Clara had not accused Mrs, Eddy of being guilty of 
plagiarism, only plainly intimated that Mrs. Eddy's 
teachings, in many respects, closely resembled those of 
Spiritualism, and in claiming a thing, like this she had 
committed an unpardonable offence. She meekly took 
her lecture for her ingratitude and injustice toward the 
discoverer of Christian Science. 

When it was over, she left the Christian Science 
reading room, where she had spent many happy and 
profitable hours, knowing that she would never again 
be made to feel at home there, or be recognized as one 
of them, her eyes filled with tears. 

Rev. John Bell was at this time attending the Mich- 
igan Conference, and was not expected home for sev- 



TIMELY AID 151 

eral days, but on her return, there he was with open 
arms to meet her. She was quick to observe the sad 
and hurt expression on his face and she inquired if 
they had treated him very badly. "I had expected 
opposition," said he, "but I was not looking for them 
to come down quite so heavily upon me. Every mart 
of them believes it to be a Christian duty to crush out 
Spiritualism. They would do well to heed the Bible : 
'Let lying lips be put to silence which speak grievous 
things proudly and contemptuously against the right- 
eous.' " 

"Yes, John, but they have undoubtedly jumped to 
the erroneous conclusion that among the Spiritualists 
there is not one righteous, no not one. Few have 
heeded this wonderful statement given by Gamaliel : 
Tf this counsel or this work be of men it will come to 
naught, but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it lest 
haply ye be found even to fight against God/ Looking 
the question squarely in the face and answering it 
candidly, did either of us obey St. Paul's admonition, 
'Be kindly affectioned one to another,' so long as we 
remained steeped in our creeds? Volumes might be 
written on the subject "Christianity versus Churchian- 
ity.' Christian Science claims to possess no creed, 
but it certainly has quite a summary of fixed articles 
of faith, and let a differing thought, be it ever so good, 
try to gain a hearing, and every loyal Scientist feels in 
duty bound to reject it. The differing thought that I 
have added is that the continuity of life, after so-called 
death, may be proven to us while here. Aside from 
this, I am almost as much of a Christian Scientist as I 
ever was. True, there was a time when I unconscious- 
ly deified Mrs. Eddy. I no longer do that, but I have 
no unkind thoughts of her. In the presence of some of 
my Christian Science friends, I dared to say that Ella 
Wheeler Wilcox, (although I did not always agree 



152 TIMELY AID 

with her), was one of the foremost women of Amer- 
ica, and that in her life work, her poems and other 
writings, she was accomplishing much for humankind. 
I dared to say that I had received periodicals such as 
'Weltmer's Magazine/ 'Eleanor Kirk's Idea/ The Bal- 
ance/ and many others. And they felt called upon to 
tell me that I was ungrateful to Mrs. Eddy, and many 
other things like that. When I departed even this little 
way from the beaten path, I believe I had to stand and 
take as much cautioning and reprimanding as has ever 
been your lot to take. But can we not say 'Father for- 
give them for they know not what they do/ Once, we 
did not fail to attack other peoples' opinions or to assert 
our own as though they were invincible. How true 
this saying of Alice Cary's : 'Prejudice is the acid that 
curdles the cream of human wisdom/ We have left 
our churches for what seems to us to be a higher 
thought. We ought to be willing to suffer a little com- 
ment or even opposition for a righteous cause. Let us 
remember the Scriptural assurance 'No weapon that is 
formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that 
shall rise against thee thou shalt condemn. This is the 
heritage of the servants of the Lord/ I have just been 
reading the 'History of Arctic Heroes/ by J. A. Mudge 
in which it is written : 'Fifteen years Frobisher went 
about preaching Cathia as the promised land and the 
Northwest as the way to it. Men's ears were dull and 
their shoulders cold toward him; but his zeal did not 
abate. Opposition is the flint which strikes fire from 
some men. The sparks of enthusiasm which the smit- 
ten Frobisher emitted soon set the nation on 
fire/ Now T the thought comes to me, if this was the 
case with Frobisher, how much more ought we, who 
have the promised land, heaven and harmony, in view, 
whose feet have already touched its borders, without 
having tasted death, abound in zeal, until we shall have 



TIMELY AID 153 

set the world on fire and burned up its dross and stub- 
ble ! Others may and do hold different opinions con- 
cerning our promised land and the way to it. We will 
not let opposition turn us away from our heavenly pur- 
suit ; but may it act as a flint to strike fire from each 
and every one of us, not in the way of bitter contro- 
versy, but in the practice of truth. Our enthusiasm in 
this line must sooner or later induce our opponents to 
try the journey with us. What care we for loud clamor, 
for objections quite devoid of clear, forceful logic. We 
can use the prayer of the Psalmist and God will an- 
swer : 'Deliver me not over unto the will of mine ene- 
mies ; for false witnesses are risen up against me and 
such as breath out cruelty. Deliver me, O Lord ! from 
the evil men who imagine mischief in their hearts. Con- 
tinually are they gathered together against me.' Dear 
John, we do not have to avenge our accusers. Our 
prayer is already answered if in faith we walk out 
upon the promises : 'They that hate thee shall be 
clothed with shame.' 'A wicked messenger falleth into 
mischief, but for a faithful ambassador is health.' Most 
of our opponents are but loud clamorers. Let us care- 
cully consider whether or not a man is resorting to un- 
truths and misrepresentation of facts in order that he 
may carry his point. We can usually detect when a 
man is trying to make that appear argument which is 
nothing more than mere passionate, vehement asser- 
tion. Religious persecution is not to be compared with 
that of a century and more ago. To receive the cold 
shoulder from those we once classed among our dearest 
friends is not pleasant, but even if they be so inclined, 
you know they dare not go so far as to burn us at the 
stake, or torture us at the whipping post. They may 
succeed in getting us imprisoned, for practicing our 
healing art or for our 'fortune telling', as it is called. 
If we are adherents of truth and realize our Divinity, 



154 TIMELY AID 

^ve may rest secure and press forward tinder any 
amount of undeserved censure, knowing that 'right will 
triumph.' 

"We, in a higher sense than Frobisher, have set 
out to reach the promised land and we need not mind 
the obstucles. 'Where there's a will there's a way.' 
Working for the establishment of the Kingdom of 
Heaven on earth, we have a mission destructive to sec- 
tarian bitterness. It is foolish to be disheartened, but 
rather let this opposition be the flint which se^s us all 
on fire." 

John thanked her for what she had said: "Your 
words are encouraging and inspiring, my dear, I be- 
lieve I will continue to sing the hymn : 'They are 
slaves who dare not be, In the right with two or three/ 
For you to accept of Spiritualism was a greater strug- 
gle than for me, but now, of the two, I am seemingly 
the wavering one. I seem to find it harder to stead- 
fastly stand against all of this opposition. My plan 
now is to preach for Spiritualism. I hope also to be- 
come a healer, a prophet, and a seer. But, Clara, when 
it comes to sermonizing, I will act as your mouth piece. 
I will leave it to your superior wisdom to construct and 
write all that I am to say. I have always considered 
Edward's wife uncommonly bright. She's no compari- 
son to you, dear. Uncle Joe would have brought me 
tip to look upon woman as man's inferior, and wom- 
an's worth as amounting to but very little. But the 
prophet Jeremiah, I believe, was right. 'A woman 
shall compass a man.' Mrs. Reynolds led me to you 
and I suppose you will lead me all the rest of my days. 
Sweetheart, I do not know as I can do better than to 
allow you to point out the way in all things. I am 
yours eternally. God knew what was best when He 
made man a helpmate." 



TIMELY AID 155 

Here the conversation drifted away from religion to 
the small talk usually indulged in by lovers. 

This we will omit, for it would not be interesting to 
our readers, w 7 ho, it is to be hoped, are from among 
the class so advanced in years and in wisdom's ways, 
that they are without a trace of sentimentality but 
vested with common sense. We have no more desire 
to write a love story than our readers have to peruse 
one. 



156 TIMELY AID 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Fruits of the Spirit. 

THERE is no sorrow so great, but that time, in a 
measure, heals it. 
It is now nearly three years since we left John 
, Bell, so hopelessly sad in his Michigan home and 
now again we find him in this town where so many 
years of his life have been spent. He is accompanied by 
his happy, pretty bride, Clara, and his little daughter of 
three. They had visited Clara's brother on the way. 
They found him a promising young man of whom they 
might well be proud. He was studying law in the office 
of his foster father. The brother and sister so long sep- 
arated, were attached to each other from the first mo- 
ment, and so much of their time and attention was 
given to each other that the bride-groom said he felt 
inclined to be jealous. We are happy to say that there 
was no religious clash here, for the brother leaned 
somewhat toward Spiritualism. He was very much in- 
terested in what is called Divine Science or The New 
Thought. I do not claim that this is Spiritualism, ex- 
actly, but this I do aver, there is about as much differ- 
ence between them as between grandmother's "posy- 
beds" and our "flower-beds," raised from the same 
seed. 

There is much in a name. When our friends reached 
the old home they found there a surprise in store. 
John's cousin, William Stafford, like the prodigal son, 
had returned. 



TIMELY AID 157 

The town could not point to a better or more indus- 
trious citizen than he. And on inquiry they learned 
that he was leading an upright life, not for a few 
weeks only, as a result of the latest revival meeting, 
for it will be remembered he was always inclined to be 
spasmodically religious, but, much to the surprise of 
every one who knew him, his good character now 
seemed to be established. There was a mutual attach- 
ment between the cousins never felt before. William 
told John what had made this transformation in a life 
once given up wholly to selfishness and dissipation: 
"In a spirit of levity I consulted a medium ; but she 
was an honest medium, and while in her presence I 
became convinced of 'the communion of saints.' I 
left her in tears, determined to find out more about 
this religion called Spiritualism, and I am now a firm 
believer. All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel 
mother. I cannot now do wrong knowing that it will 
grieve the dear ones over there." 

And to this, John fervently said, "Amen." 
The first to welcome them at home was the pastor of 
the Spiritualist Church, who seemed to have entirely 
forgotten that two or three years ago this same Rev. 
John Bell had preached a most radical sermon on the 
subject of Spiritualism, and written the same style of 
denunciations for their town paper. The young man 
received from his entertainer an earnest invitation to 
fill the pulpit on the following Sunday night. You may 
know that his former acquaintances held up their hands 
in holy horror when it was noised about that he had 
changed his principles and was taking this stand. Some 
deemed it a duty, they owed to themselves, to hold him 
at arms' length and to avoid meeting him. So they 
hugged their garments about them and crossed over to 
the other side of the street. Cold disdain was marked 
on nearly every face. But in the heart of the good 



158 TIMELY AID 

John Bell charity dominated over all other feeling. 
When the night came on which he was to speak a few 
of the Orthodox, prompted by curiosity, decided to at- 
tend this despised church and hear what he might have 
to say. 

Each took care that none *of the church people 
should see them enter. They really felt as much 
ashamed of themselves as though they were about to 
enter some down town saloon. 

The service opened with the old familiar hymn, 
"Nearer, My God to Thee." Then this earnest invo- 
cation, which we have all read in the "Banner of 
Light" was offered. 

"O Spirit of Infinite Tenderness, whose pulsating 
heart beats ever outward until the farthest corners of 
the earth feel the influence of Thy care, we turn to 
Thee this hour. So often in the midst of distress and 
trouble we yearn to lean our aching hearts on the heart 
of Infinite Love ; so often in the midst of the tumult 
of life we yearn to rest in the quiet and peace of Love. 
And we come again to Thee and ask that all hearts 
that ache, all souls that yearn may find that same peace, 
that same answer to their yearnings which has been 
our own. The blessed assurance of life after death, 
the overflowing joy that comes bounding up through 
our consciousness when we realize that those we love 
can never die, we would pass along to those who suffer 
and mourn and walk in the darkness and the distress of 
misunderstanding. We are Thine to be used as chan- 
nels of expression. So shall the world be made bright- 
er and happier for our effort. Amen." 

This was followed by the singing of "Sweet Hour of 
Prayer." 

The pastor then offered a few introductory remarks 
in which he welcomed the strangers within their gates. 

"'Rev. John Bell, the speaker of the evening, needs 



TIMELY AID 159 

no formal introduction, being well known to nearly 
all present. Do not imagine, my dear Christian friends, 
that Brother Bell is not still a worker in God's vine- 
yard, though some of his religious opinions have 
changed. 

"He willingly stands with outstretched hand 

To relieve his weary brothers, 
And the store he has, be it ever so small,, 

It's his joy to share with others.'' 

"Though Brother Bell may be said to have branched 
out into another path since we knew him as one -of 
our respected townsmen, still let us remember, no 
matter to what church we belong, we are all heaven- 
ward bound. To all those differing in opinions I am 
sure he would say, in the words of Abraham when he 
parted from Lot, 'Let there be no strife I pray thee 
between thee and me, between thy herdsmen and my 
herdsmen, for we are brethren.' " 

As our John came forward to address the people, 
his manly face beamed with a happiness not born of 
this world. Whether the sermon was written by his 
wife, or came to him through spirit inspiration, we 
are not prepared to say. 

He chose for the Scripture lesson the twelvth chapter 
of 1st Corinthians, and his text we find in St. Matthew : 
"Ye shall know them by their fruits. " 

"It had been many years since the close of the Civil 
War. There was a reunion of soldiers. They were 
few and scattering and bent with age, but all came to- 
gether that possibly could. These G. A. R. boys love 
to meet. It was Decoration Day and I had been in- 
vited to address them. What a shaking of hands ! 
What astonishment they feel as they see how time 
with its toil, anxiety and sorrow, has altered them. 



160 TIMELY AID 

They meet as strangers not knowing one another at 
first. Then the look of recognition lights up their 
faces. Each seems amazed to see the wrinkles, and the 
old look which the other face bears. Poor old com- 
rades ! 

"At first they appear to feel sad to think how greatly 
they have changed since they marched side by side in 
the buoyancy of youth. But they soon get over this 
as they laugh and chat and go over both funny and 
thrilling reminiscences of war. The dinner hour 
comes and they all assemble in a long hall where they 
are to dine together. Another veteran, with snowy 
locks and bent shoulders enters. They bid him wel- 
come with a bow, but gave no hearty hand shake of 
recognition. With trembling voice the old man said: 

" 'Boys, don't you know me?' 

"No one gave an answer." 

"He left the hall with tears in his eyes. 'Who could 
it be?' they said one to another. Presently, the old 
man returns leaning upon the arm of a young man — 
his son. With one united voice they shouted : 'O, 
we do know you ! You were our captain/ How did 
they know him? They knew him because the father 
was reproduced in the son. 

"This story illustrates the great truth our Master 
expressed: 'He who hath seen the Son hath seen 
the Father also.' 'God is Spirit.' To many this con- 
veys but a vague idea of what the eternal Father 
really is. Not the body of Jesus, but the Christed life 
of that man, was the Father reproduced. And among 
his recorded sayings we have this : 'Ye also shall bear 
witness, because ye have been with me from the be- 
ginning.' 

"Those who were with Jesus during his ministry 
were undoubtedly highly favored yet they found it as 
difficult to believe in the miracles of the carpenter 



TIMELY AID 161 

Jesus as you do to-day to believe in the seemingly 
miraculous manifestations of spirit power around you. 
In ten thousand ways to-day the ever-living spirit of 
All Good is manifesting the divine power, wisdom and 
truth yet our eyes are largely holden that we see it not 
or, if we see it, in part, we doubt. 

"One thing I wish to call attention to and it is this: 
The very close and striking resemblance between true 
primitive Christianity and Modern Spiritualism. Read 
over the account St. Paul gives of the Nine Spiritual 
Gifts (1 Cor. xii ch) which lay at the foundation of 
all that was called miraculous in early Christianity — 
and then study the authentic and carefully recorded in- 
stances of similar spirit power to-day in Spiritualism, 
and see if these 'gifts' (we prefer the term endow- 
ments) are not in the world to-day and exercised even 
in greater power, and on a wider scale, than ever be- 
fore. 

"When a child of 11 years of age, like Cora Scott 
(Xow Mrs. Cora Richmond) gives discourses worthy 
the profoundest philosopher, has she not the 'word of 
wisdom?' Hundreds of similar cases are recorded in 
Spiritualism's short history. When uneducated men 
are caught by the power of an entrancing spirit and 
discourse to us about the spirit realms and the material 
universe in truths not learned in the schools, or gained 
by experience, are not these present-day proofs of the 
'word of knowledge ?' When the psychic relates facts 
of your life hidden in the secret chambers of your 
heart, is not this a demonstration of the same power? 

"Similarly we might go through the category and 
show how the endowment of 'faith/ 'healing/ 'mira- 
cles/ 'prophecy,' 'discernment of spirits/ 'divers kinds 
of tongues,' 'interpretation of tongues/ are all in the 
world, exemplified in our very midst and with great 
variety and power of expression to-day. Oh, my 



162 TIMELY AID 

friends, open your blind eyes, unstop your deaf ears, 
use your benumbed intellects, and consider the mar- 
velous manifestations of spirit power about you. 

"Remember that Spiritualism is not so much a re- 
ligion as the fruitful Mother of all religions, the great 
fountain whence religious light, life and inspiration 
; have been imparted to men. And the Bible and true 
Christianity are no exceptions. Spiritualism did not 
spring from the Bible — the Bible grew out of Spir- 
itualism in its ancient manifestations. That the Bible 
is a Spiritualist text book is capable of easy demonstra- 
tion—the angels and spirits appearing in ancient times 
with warnings, counsel, comfort, help and messages 
for men, being in truth our departed brothers, minis- 
tering unto those who shall be heirs of salvation. 

"Listen to the claims of Spiritualism as set forth by 
B. F. Austin, pastor of the Plymouth Church, Roch- 
ester : 

"The challenge of Spiritualism has gone forth and is 
especially directed to three classes — to thinkers, to 
doubters and to religionists. 

"It claims to be a demonstration of the soul's sur- 
vival of the shock of death, a proof of the essential 
i spirituality of man's nature, a vindication of man's 
inherent greatness and .. divinity, a duplication of the 
miracles of early Christianity and the miracles of other 
religions, a system of ethics of a loftier standard than 
orthodoxy can present and with stronger motives to 
good conduct, a religion offering the nectar of divine 
consolation to men through its wireless telegraphy 
between the mortal and the spirit spheres, and a reli- 

- gion furnishing the loftiest and purest inspiration and 
help in the unfolding of man's own soul powers." 

Can you afford, as a truth-seeker, to be ignorant of 
.the truth or falsity of these claims? 

- To show you how replete the Bible is with phe- 



TIMELY AID 163 

nomena -similar to that of Spiritualism I desire to call 
attention to a little tract entitled "The Spiritual Phe- 
nomena of the Bible" by Dr. Austin and classifying 
the various manifestations as follows : 

.Materialisation— Gen. III. 8; XVIIII, 1; XXXII, 
24; Exodus XXIV, 10-11; Ezek, II, 9; Dan. V, 5; 
Luke XXIV, 15, 16, 29, 30, 31 ; John XX, 19-30. 

Spirit Writing— IlChron, XXI, 12-15; Dan. V, 5. 

Independent Spirit Writing — Exodus XXIV, 12; 
XXXII. 16 ; XXXIV, 1 ; Deut. V, 24. 

Trumpet Speaking— Ex. XIX, 13, 16, 19 ; XX, 18; 
Rev. I, 10. 

Trance— Gen. XV, 12-17; Dan. VIII, 18; X, 9; Acts 

IX. 3-9; XXXII, 17; II Cor. XII, 2. 

Healing (Old Testament)— Num. XXI, 8-9; II 
Kings, V, 1-14; I Kings. XVII, 17-24; II kings, IV, 
18-37. 

Healing (New Testament)— Matt. VIII, 5-13; XII, 
10-13 ; Luke XIV 2-4 ; Mark III, 2-5 ; Luke V, 17-25 ; 
John IV, 47-54; Luke IX, 11. 

Disciples Commanded to Heal — Acts XIV, 8-10; 
Acts III. 1-8. 
■ Gifts of Healing— I Cor. XII, 9-28. 

Healing bv Magnetized Articles — II Kings IV, 29; 
Acts XIX,_11, 12. 

Independent Spirit Voices — Deut. IX, 12, 13; Ezek. 
I, 28 ; Matt. XVII, 5 ; John XII, 28, 29, 30; Acts VII, 
30.31: IX. 4. 7; XI, 7,8,9. 

Spirit Lcvitation—l Kings XVIII, 12 ; II Kings II, 
16; Ezek. Ill, 12, 13, 14; VIII, 3; Acts VIII, 39, 40; 
possiblv Matt. IV, 1. 

Spirit Tests— Gen. XXIV. 14-19; Exod. IV, 14-31; 
Judges VI. 2>6. 40; I Sam. I, 10, 11, 17, 26, 27; I Sam. 

X, 2, 6. 9, 10. 

Spirit Communication in Dreams — Job XXXIII, 15; 
Joel II, 28; Gen. XXVIII, 12; XXX, 24; XXXVII, 



164 TIMELY AID 

5 ; XLI chapter ; Judges VII, 13 ; I Kings III, 5 ; Dan. 
II, 4; Matt. I, 20; II, 13; XXVII, 19. 

"Now no doubt every one present feels that he 
would not only like to see these miracles performed, 
but he would like to perform them. For his encour- 
agement I will say, what we call occult and super- 
natural is really natural. So-called miracles occur to- 
day even as they did in Bible times. It is written 'God 
will not cast off nor forsake his people/ * * * 
'That which hath been is now and that which is to be 
hath already been.' 

"When we see matter passing through matter, spirit 
photos appearing upon canvas, with no object before 
the camera, slate-written messages coming where no 
visible hand has touched the pencil, the sick man lifted 
from his couch of pain perfectly healed, and like phe- 
nomena, we call it a miracle and the man through whom 
such manifestations are given we pronounce an adept. 
But there is really nothing new or miraculous about it. 

"God through the angel world is still man's bene- 
factor, his preserver and his safety when in imminent 
danger. I will recite a poem that to me is very beau- 
tiful and full of meaning. I am unable to give the 
author's name. 



MIRACLES. 

"Bind your Isaac to the altar, 

Bind him there with many a cord; 
O, my brother, do not falter. 

Can't you fully trust your Lord? 
Ke it is who watches o'er you, 

Though your path may oft be dim, 
He will bring new life to Isaac 

Leave the miracle to Him. 



TIMELY AID 165 

Note that scene on plains of Dura, 

See the Hebrew martyr band 
Firmly standing for Jehovah, 

Trusting in His hidden hand. 
He is mighty to deliver 

From the power of death so grim; 
Fiery furnace cannot harm thee, 

Leave the miracle to Him. 

Bring to Christ your loaves and fishes 

Though they be both few and small 
He will use the weakest vessels, 

Give to Him your little all. 
Do you ask how many thousands 

Can be fed with food so slim? 
Listen to the Master's blessing, 

Leave the miracle to Him. 

Christian workers looking forward 

To the ripened harvest field, 
Does the task seem great before you, 

Think you scant will be the yield? 
Bravely enter with your Master 

Though the prospect may seem dim, 
Preach the word with holy fervor 

Leave the miracle to Him. 

O, ye Christians, learn the lesson, 

Are you struggling all the way? 
Cease your trying, change to trusting, 

Then you'll triumph every day. 
Whatso'er he bids you do it, 

Fill the water pots to brim, 
And remember 'tis His battle, 

Leave the miracle to Him." 



166 TIM EL Y AID 

A few convincing "tests" were given by Mrs. Bell, 
the congregation sang the doxology, the benediction 
was pronounced and they separated to their places of 
abode. 

Some of the strangers to Spiritualism went away, 
wondering greatly at the things they had seen and 
heard through the medium. They went away almost 
persuaded and pronounced his a most excellent ser- 
mon. There were others who left the service pro- 
nouncing it both ridiculous and unchristian from be- 
ginning to end. Even among the Spiritualists them- 
selves there were a few who did not quite agree with 
the speaker, but there were more who were satisfied 
with the subject he had chosen and the liberal way in 
which it had been handled. 

Regardless of what the world thinks and says of 
him our young minister continues to preach the reli- 
gion of the angels, and his wife is working with him, 
delivering messages of comfort and cheer to those who 
mourn, and healing those who are sick with no less 
success than when she read the works of Mary Baker 
G. Eddy only. The study of the books penned by S. 
A. Weltmer, Melinda Cramer and others does not seem 
to have hurt her or her work in the least. She is still 
a Christian, we mean by that word, she lives; not for 
self, but for the good of mankind. 

How true these words of Olive Rich in the magazine 
called "New Thought." "If we spent as much time 
studying points of similarity as we do in studying dif- 
ferences we would shortly discover that we could all 
stand on the same platform even if we don't wear the 
same kind of shoes." 

If we are shod with the gospel of Jesus the Christ, 
let it be labeled "New Thought," "Christian Science," 
"Methodism" or what it will, God's platform is big 
enough to hold us all. No sect should claim monopoly 



TIMELY AID 167 

nor attempt to crowd another off. Let him who be- 
lieves he is shod with the gospel keep his shoes so clean 
and bright that through the law of attraction others 
will be led to don the same kind. If we claim Jesus 
was a Spiritualist, let our lives attest our sincerity by 
walking in his footsteps. 

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of 
him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace 
and salvation ; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth." 

"So many ways, so many creeds, 
So many paths that wind and wind. 

While all the art this sad world needs 
Is just the art of being kind." 

The End. 



CONCORDANCE 



TIMELY AID 171 



FRUITAGE. 



AND there appeared unto Jesus an angel from 
Heaven, strengthening him. St. Luke 22:43. 
The religion of the future will be one that 
practices the Christ method of healing. "They 
shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover." 
With the advent of Spiritualism, earth received the 
second coming of the royal beauties of the old gospel. 

It has ever been the mission of true Spiritualism to 
bring "Peace on earth and good will to men." to 
"Preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of 
sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are 
bound." It certainly did this for Phineas Eames 
whose testimony of healing found in the "Truths of 
Spiritualism," by E. V. Willson, we here copy in part, 
For three years following his wonderful healing he 
remained well and performed manual labor on the farm 
of the brother-in-law to whom his letter is addressed. 
E. V. Willson describes his brother's transition as fol- 
lows: "On June 7th, 1873, the anniversary of his 
fifty-fifth birthday, Phineas Eames was gently born into 
spirit-life, entering upon his journey over the river 
without a struggle or a groan and while we were sing- 
ing a favorite piece of his : 

"Joyfully, joyfully, onward I move, Bound for the 
land of bright spirits above." 

"The angel friends who stood around him joined in 
with us, and we heard their voices of praise distinctly, 
and while singing, the last breath here was drawn, his 
spirit was born into the higher life beyond the river. 

"Was this death ? Call it not death ! but life contin- 
ued. We obtained the services of Sister Julia Sever- 
ance of Milwaukee, to speak words of cheer to the liv- 



172 TIMELY AID 

ing. Many kind friends came together on this occa- 
sion, listening for the first time to a Spiritualist burial 
service. 

"Wreaths of white flowers were lovingly laid upon 
the casket, by his children and our family as we ten- 
derly lowered it to its last resting place all realizing 
fully that he was not in the casket ; but standing with 
us, our spirit brother, and henceforth would become the 
angel guardian of his children assisting us in their 
culture and development into womanhood/' 

Shortly after Phineas Eames, had lost his home, his 
wife and two children, a boy of seven and baby girl, 
in the Michigan forest fire of the fall of 1871, and he 
with his two daughters, aged twelve and fourteen, had 
reached Mr. Willson's home he dictated the letter to 
this brother, here given in its essential parts : 

Lombard, 111., Nov., 1871. 

Dear Brother: Here I am at home with the rem- 
nant of my family the two oldest girls, in answer to 
your kind letter asking us to come. God and the angels 
be with you to reward you and yours. 

In less than one hour after the fire came upon us, my 
wife and two children were dead by my side. Can you 
imagine my feelings, brother, as, with my girls now 
motherless, myself still burning we lay there? 

God grant that you may never pass through such a 
night. 

Soon the wind decreased in violence, and the force 
of the tempest of fire and wind had passed on; we 
could hear its terrible roar and we were in its awful 
trail. We now began to fully realize our condition. 
All of us cold and nearly naked. I fearfully burned, 
from the top of my head down to the soles of my feet, 
suffering the most intense pain. 

I felt that I could not endure and live ; my face one 



TIMELY AID 173 

mass of burns ; my body burned deep in many places ; 
my hands, legs, and feet fairly roasted. I had on two 
pairs of pants, they were tucked inside my boots, leav 
ing the leather, burned to a crisp, on my roasted feet. 
Can you realize what I passed through and suffered, 
suffering ten thousand deaths, and could not die as I 
had desired to with my wife and babies ? 

I then called on the little group, six of us in all, and 
said to them : "Here is all that is left of our two fam- 
ilies, so far as we know. We know not where your 
husband and the other children are ; my wife, baby 
and son are dead. Now, in this hour of sorrow, let us 
all, with one accord and united voices, pray earnestly 
to Almighty God, our Father, as we never did before, 
that we may have grace and strength to endure this 
terrible affliction and that in this fearful pain I am now 
suffering I may be sustained and strengthened." 

And as our voices mingled, ascending in prayer, all 
at once I felt surrounded with a host of angelic be- 
ings ; they were on my right and on my left, before me 
and behind me ; I felt their presence so clearly, that I 
thought, if I moved either way, I should touch them. 
And we prayed on without ceasing, until in a moment, 
I felt my pain had left me entirely, and from that mo- 
ment I have never felt the least pain from my burns; 
and all who were with me, and have nursed me for the 
last thirty days, can testify to my condition. 

And I call upon my God to witness that this is the 
truth, and that I am this day a living demonstration of 
His power to heal through ministering spirits. Al- 
though, brother, you know I have never professed to 
be a Spiritualist, neither have I been a member of the 
church for years. 

I recognized none of these angel visitants. It mat- 
tered little to me who they were. When they came my 
pain left me, and more they lifted from me the great 



174 TIMELY AID 

weight of sorrow. They bid me look up not down, on 
those lifeless forms ; they are not there in those charred 
and marred bodies ; they have passed on, are now rest- 
ing in the Summerland above, and will be with you 
soon ; they suffered not as you think, but in a moment, 
in the twinkling of an eye, they were born into im- 
mortal life. Turn now to the living; there is your 
duty. Mourn not for those who have passed on-; you 
are to live and go from here. From that prayer I rose 
up free from pain, and strengthened to endure my loss. 
We remained there until near daylight.. Then we 
turned from our dead in silence and from the ashes of 
our home, we started for Menominee, seven miles 
away. Fire had passed over the ground, leaving its 
traces all around, the State road was almost impas- 
sable. Every house w T as burned between ours and the 
town but one, and this was five miles away; we 
reached it about seven o'clock in the evening. All that 
day I was led by my girls, and our neighbors, over and 
under trees, groping in darkness. My face was so 
swollen and blistered that I could not see only as I 
opened my eyes by force. We were all hungry, thirsty 
and nearly naked. It was very cold. Glad were we 
when we reached Judge Ingalls' farm. We found an 
old Frenchman in charge who welcomed us and sup- 
plied our pressing needs. Just then Dr. Sherman met 
us, having come down as quickly as possible after get- 
ting word from my neighbor, who had gone in ahead. 
The doctor, seeing how tired I was, thought best to 
have me rest until morning. Then I was carried on a 
bed, in a wagon, to Menominee, two miles, and found 
friends, who kindly welcomed me and dressed my 
wounds. I remained with them for thirty days, until 
able to accept your invitation to come to the home of 
my wife's sister where I and my motherless girls were 
welcomed — God bless you — my brother ! I have told 



TIMELY AID 175 

you I reached Menominee, Tuesday morning, October 
10, and while there was cared for by Dr. Sherman, 
who, after cutting off the rags, remnants of my clothes, 
proceeded to dress my burns, roasted feet and hands, 
and swollen eyes. I cannot tell you how bad I was. 
To any who may doubt my word, let them write to Dr. 
Sherman as to my condition, and then they will realize 
fully what the Lord has done for me through His 
angels. Drs. Shepard and Dodge took charge of me 
after the first few days. I was tenderly cared for and 
nursed with brotherly and sisterly love. Many will 
testify that when I reached Menominee, my condition 
was such that none thought I could live ; and all who 
came in contact with me, will testify to the truth of my 
statements that they have heard no complaints or 
groans, or flinching when my burns were being 
dressed. 

On Tuesday night, the 10th, while lying at the Tay- 
lor House, I saw my wife in a vision ; others came with 
her ; and it was said to me, from these spirits— I could 
not distinguish whose voice — " You w T ill live and go to 
Illinois." I awoke and felt refreshed, and have ever 
since been surrounded by unseen friends helping me 
all the time. I could not at the time comprehend how 
I was to go to Illinois in my present condition. Then 
came Mary's letter ; and at the end of thirty days the 
promise of these heavenly visitors was fulfilled. 

When I left, kind friends procured me a pass to 
Chicago ; accompanied by your friends that met us, 
we went to the Mayor, who kindly greeted us, then 
countersigned our passes and bid me God-speed. 

All the way conductors and passengers seemingly 
vied with each other to help us on our way. It was 
only necessary for me to mention the Peshtigo and 
Menominee fires, and point to my burns, for they were 
my witnesses. On my way, I met many who knew 



176 TIMELY AID 

you, and to mention your name to them was to win, 
at once, their sympathy and help. And now, here I am 
in your home, all there is left of my once happy family, 
being tenderly cared for — and after five weeks I find 
myself quite helpless, but I can see, thank God. My 
hands and feet are slowly improving ; I am gaining 
strength and can move about the house — I feel con- 
fident that I will regain the use of my hands in time ; 
the nails are all coming off, but new ones will come in 
their place; I trust to retain all my fingers, and the 
use of them ; I suffer no pain. I thank God for allow- 
ing me to testify that I have been healed of pain 
through the minstering of angel friends ; and I here 
desire to add my testimony to thousands of other wit- 
nesses, that I know our loved ones do return to us, 
and that men and women are prompted by these, our 
spirit friends, and theirs also, to help their brothers and 
sisters in the earth life. 

And now, dear brother, this is the way I have been 
led to your home, and am made welcome by your fam- 
ily, as well as by many angel friends ; I can feel their 
presence here, but cannot always see them. I have felt 
them working over my crippled hands and feet, and 
believe they will restore to me the use of them in good 
time. 

Brother, I am a living demonstration of spirit 
power, through the laws of God, who came to my help 
in the hour of trouble and relieved me of all my pain. 
I am now a Spiritualist: What else could I be, after 
seeing, hearing and feeling their presence, and wit- 
nessing their power to remove pain and restore one 
back to life who was so near the grave as I was? 
And you are at liberty to make use of these facts as 
it seems good to you. All I have stated can be proved, 
by writing to any of the parties mentioned above, or 
to the Relief Committee, at Menominee, Mich., they 



TIMELY AID 177 

will all remember me, as the only one so badly burned, 
that lived. God and angels be with you — and bless 
you in your work — in the cause of spiritual freedom. 
I hope soon to see you. Accept love and heartfelt 
thanks from myself and children. 

Phixeas Eames. 

From the "Truths of Spiritualism/' 

Healing in the Year 1868. 

Wm. P. Parker, of Yates City, 111., says : "About 
twelve years ago, my wife, Julia,, was attacked with 
inflammatory rheumatism of a malignant type, and for 
twelve weeks was entirely helpless, being under the 
care of Dr. Gregory of Farmington, 111., he had given 
her up, and publicly stated that she could not get well. 
On a certain day, the Rev. Mr. McGee, a Methodist, 
carrying on a revival meeting in Livola Center, 111., 
called at my home, saw my wife, examined her (he 
having studied medicine), and said: 'She, will not 
live beyond this o'clock this P. M. for mortification has 
already taken place, and she is now dying/ and he in 
public made statement to that effect. This examina- 
tion by the Rev. McGee, was made on Monday morn- 
ing at ten o'clock/' 

My wife said: "If spirits can come back and assist 
those who suffer, I would be pleased if they could, or 
would come and help me/' At this time her limbs 
were very much swollen, and, of herself, she could 
not move them, and when moved by others suffered 
terribly. She had but finished the words, when she 
was seized by some invisible power, and without the 
help of others, exercised for the space of thirty min- 
utes, when to our great surprise, the swollen condi- 
tion disappeared, her limbs became natural and limber, 
and all pain was gone. Soon after this phenomenon, 



178 TIMELY AID 

Dr. Gregory called. We told him what had taken 
place. He was very much surprised — examined his; 
patient very carefully, asked us many questions, but 
left no medicine, simply saying, when he left: "You 
will request the phenomenon to occur again tomorrow, 
at the same time it did today/' 

On the next day, a little before the time for the 
phenomenon to repeat itself, Dr. G. came, and the 
same thing occurred again in his presence. The Doc- 
tor was not fully satisfied of the cause, but very much 
surprised at the results. When we had seen the phe- 
nomenon for the third time my wife was cured, and 
that, too, without any medicine being given. Dr. G. 
wrote an account of the whole transaction, making 
a_ clear statement of the case, and sent it to the medi- 
cal faculty, at Chicago, with whom it remained for 
some time, and then was returned to him with this 
reply: "It is beyond our knowledge and we have no 
precedent to which we can refer you." 



Note. — How strange it is that so wonderful a phenomenon 
should take place, and known to the medical faculty, and not 
have publicity. Are not the blind leading the blind leading 
the blind? And yet the case of Mrs. Wm. Parker is as well 
established as the fact that U. S. Grant is president of the 
United States, and, no doubt, by and by, when another such 
case occurs, and it is placed in the hands of the medical fac- 
ulty, they will shake their heads very wisely and return it to 
the sender, saying : "We have no precedent, hence it is not 
worthy of our notice." But how different it would have been 
had this occurred to the wife of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob or 
Solomon. We are, as Christians, willing to believe the story 
of Samson and his foxes ; of Elisha and his ax-pole ; of Jonah 
arid his great fish; but doubt this phenomenon at our door, 
and with any number of witnesses living who saw it and are 
willing to testify thereto. E, V. Wilson. 



TIMELY AID 179 

Healing in 1869. 
From the "Truth of Spiritualism." 

In Council Bluffs, Iowa, dwells Dr. and his 

lady, old residents of the place. The doctor is an 
Atheist ; his wife a Catholic. They are considered rich, 
They have five children, four with them, one in the 
Summerland. 

Some four years ago Jesse, their first born son, 
now thirteen years old, had an attack of fever which 
ended in hip disease, contracting the cords of the leg, 
drawing the foot up to the back of the thigh, causing 
the thigh to shrink and wither and the leg to be use- 
less, and obliging him to walk with crutches for over 
three years. Last winter and spring the hip became 
very troublesome and painful, pus in considerable 
quantities forming along the bone from the thigh joint 
nearty to the knee, and in such quantities that by plac- 
ing the fingers on the thigh, pressing hard, and moving 
the hand down to the knee, the pus would accumulate 
before the finger as it approached the end of the sack, 
when the pressure w r ould become so great that the pus 
would force itself back and gurgle as it flowed back 
to its place. Early last summer, the doctor called a 
counsel of physicians. Their conclusions were: 

First. Amputation. 

Second. Make an incision, opening the flesh from 
joint to joint, extract the sack and pus, clean the bone, 
and heal by slow process. 

Third. To absorb the pus by scientific applications, 
sever the cords at the knee joint, straighten the leg by 
force, leaving the boy to pass through life with a stiff 
knee — "and I accepted the third proposition/' said the 
father, "and offered ten thousand dollars to anyone 
who could cure my son, and make his leg whole and 
perfect as the other." 



180 TIMELY AID 

This much the father of Jesse told me. Said the 
mother : 

"With a sad and sorrowful heart I took Jesse up to 
his bed on the evening of the day this council took 
place, trembling with fear in view of the trial my boy 
was soon to pass through. While undressing him and 
preparing for bed, I felt a strange influence come over 
me. My hand was strangely moved out and toward 
the thigh of my boy, and the voice of my father, who 
was in his day a good physician, but who has been 
many years in the Spirit World, said to me, 'Daughter, 
heal your son Jesse/ and then my hand went out to 
the thigh of my boy, making several passes over it; 
after which I was told to take the boy out of bed and 
stand him up against the wall. I obeyed; and then 
I noticed that the leg was straight. I stepped a little 
back from him, and bade him come to me. He did so. 
The next morning he came down stairs without his 
crutches. The leg was well, full and sound ; the gurg- 
ling pus gone, the stiffened cords limber and straight. 
My boy is healed — is sound and- well/' 

"Come hither Jesse," I requested. And the lad came ' 
to us in the prefect use of his limbs. The crooked leg 
is straight; the withered and shrunken thigh is full, 
round and plump as the well one. There he stood 
before me, the personification of health. We examined 
the boy carefully; we saw him walk, run, work, play. 
There was no halt or limp, no complaint, and no effects 
of the old disease left. There is no difference in the 
size, shape, form or appearance of the legs. 

We turned to the doctor, and said: "Are these 
statements of yourself and wife true, and may we use 
them?" 

"Yes." 

"What say you Madam?" 

"Yes." 



TIMELY AID 181 

"Doctor," we asked, "Did you or the physicians in 
council have any thing to do with the case?" 

"No, sir." 

"Who cured this son of yours, Doctor?" 

"My wife, sir, not I." 

"What say you to the Spiritual part in this case?" 

"I have only this to say. I did not see the spirit. 
My wife says she sees, hears and feels, at times, what 
you call spirits. I know the child was a helpless inva- 
lid, when he went to bed with his mother, I know he 
came down healed, sound and well. You see him as I 
see him. I did not heal him, nor did any living physi- 
cian have any thing to do with his case. My wife 
healed him." 

"Madam, did you heal this boy in and of yourself?" 

"No, sir, my father, now a spirit, through me, healed 
this my son." 

"Have you ever seen or felt the influence of your 
father on any other occasion than this ?" 

"Yes, several times. Once he came to me and told 
me to take my sister out of the Convent, and I did so, 
and I attribute, through God, the healing of my son 
to the Spirit World, and myself as the vital or living 
agent used by them." 

"Are there other cases in which you have felt this 
power, and healed the sick?" 

"Yes, I was in Missouri this summer, after the 
healing of my son, and there was in the family with 
whom I was visiting, a child who had falling fits, and 
had had them for several years. While there, this 
child had one of these terrible fits. I felt this wonder- 
ful power with me ; took the child in my lap, passing 
my hand over its head and face, and from that time 
to this, the child has had no return of the fits. So 
writes one of his parents." 

"What do your priests say to these things?" 



182 TIMELY AID 

"They say it is the work of the Devil, and that he 
does these things to deceive me and cause the loss of 
my soul/' 

"Do you believe them or the spirits — which ? " 

"I believe the spirits and shall continue to believe 
them." And in my soul I rejoiced and thanked God 
that I am free and not a Christian, and that I had lived 
to see these things. 

We are prepared to prove the statements in this 
communication. 

E. V. Wilson, "The Seer." 



From the "Truths of Spiritualism." 
Cured of a Tumor. 

We clip the following testimonial from the Magazine 

in which it was printed : — 
Dear Magazine of Mysteries : 

When I first began to read your paper, and the 
Hindu Book of Astrology, one year ago I was sick in 
~bed with what my doctor called a tumorous growth. 
He said I must go to a hospital and have it cut out 
if I ever expected to get well, and that I would have 
to act quickly, for the more the fibres grew the more 
dangerous the operation would be. Not feeling in- 
clined to go to tire hospital, I resolved to try the Mys- 
tic Success Club, for which I now thank God. I am 
nearly well without the use of the knife. God, through 
the Holy Mystics, is healing me. Since I went through 
the Four Degrees of the Mystic Scroll I can truly 
say that my health is much better and that my financial 
condition is much improved. 

Samantha Palmer, Woodlawn, Ore. 



TIMELY AID 183 

A Remarkable Cure by Spirits. 
I know of one lady who does not call herself a 
Spiritualist, giving spirits the credit of restoring her 
sight. She was nearly blind when she heard of a 
healer who told her to sit at a certain time holding a 
glass of pure water in her hands. This may look in- 
credible to others as it did to her son who made light 
of her faith. She asked him to taste the water, and he 
was astonished to find it was as bitter as gall. 
■ Now, what changed the water? If something had 
been put into it, she would have known it, as she only 
handled the glass. 

Spirits certainly restored her sight. Her son has 
told me of the wonderful cure. 

Mrs; C. W. Hay. 

Healing Through Spirit Power. 

The following, taken from a recent number of "Le 
Messager," is interesting. It was clipped from the 
Paris dailv "Le Soir," on the 26th of January last 
(1905): 

"Mr. Boucard, an examining magistrate of Paris,, 
today examined an old tailor of Cardinal Lemoine St., 
Pradier, who was arrested upon complaint of a syndi- 
cate of doctors, for the illegal practice of medicine. 

"Here is the explanation "Sir. Pradier gave: 'You 
cannot reproach me with having practised medicine.. 
I have never written a prescription, I have never told 
a remedy. Then no one can say I have swindled my 
patients ; I have never asked a cent from them, and, 
when once healed, I have refused when they have in- 
sisted upon my taking a present. 

' T have treated them by calling upon the spirits and 
by placing my hands upon the spot where the pain was. 
The mission of curing my friends was given me by 



184 TI M ELY AID 

God. When I was forty, I was about to die from 
cancer of the stomach. The doctors had given me up. 
The spirits saved my life. From this I learned that 
within me lay a mysterious force. This force I have 
given to the service of my friends and I can rejoice, 
not without reason, for I know of no more remarkable 
cures than those I have made.' 

"In support of this statement, Mr. Pradier sent the 
magistrate a bundle of documents attesting the cures 
he.had made. * 

"As the magistrate showed an intention to have Mr. 
Pradier examined mentally, his counsel demanded that 
this duty should be given to a professor of the school 
of Nancy (where hypnotism has been so long studied 
and used)/' — Translated by Mime Inness. 

"Banner of Light." 

Remarkable Cure. 

The many friends of Miss Abbie Fadden will be 
pleased to know that she has fully recovered her health 
and strength. Five years ago this month, Miss Fadden 
was taken ill with typhoid fever, and after an illness 
of ten weeks found that she was unable to walk with- 
out the aid of crutches. In October, 1900, she was 
taken to the "Mary Fletcher Hospital" in Burlington, 
where she remained some two weeks. Again in Feb- 
ruary, 1901, she was taken to the hospital, this time 
remaining four months but received very little benefit 
from her treatment there, as she was obliged to resort 
to the use of her crutches upon her return. Some time 
since her attention was called to Dr. James W. Withell, 
a magnetic specialist of Montreal, who was stopping 
with Dr. E. A. Smith. Miss Fadden was prevailed 
upon to try Dr. WitheH's treatment, and at the end of 
five treatments she was able to throw away her crutches. 



TIMELY AID 185 

She has since been gaining rapidly until at the present 
time she considers herself entirely cured. 

From "Reason" Magazine. 

The God-Ordained Physician. 

(We clip the following interesting communication 
from the "Sunflower.") 

"Now there are diversities of Gifts, but the same 
Spirit. * * * And there are diversities of workings,, 
but the same God, who worketh all things in all. But 
to each one is given the manifectation of the Spirit to 
profit withal. For to one is given through the Spirit 
the word of wisdom ; and to another the word of 
knowledge, according to the same Spirit ; to another 
faith, in the same Spirit ; and to another gifts of heal- 
ing, in the same Spirit. * * * But all these worketh 
the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one sev- 
erally even as he will." — (New Test. R. V.) 

It is evfdent from these words that Paul was familiar 
with quite a number of phases of mediumship and that 
he regarded the marked endowments of men for serv- 
ice to their kind, as the special gifts or manifestations 
in them of the One Omnipresent Spirit in all, over all, 
and through all, even "God who worketh all things 
in all." 

Among the "gifts" or "workings" of the Spirit speci- 
fied is "Healing," thus implying that the healing of the 
sick, or the cure of disease, is a divine ordinance, and 
universal in its scope; and that the means of cure are 
spiritual in character and origin, God working in and 
through the human spirit, or the human spirit working 
in and through God to this end. 

Jesus, the Great Physician, announced this as the 
divine means and method of healing as He went about 



186 TIM EL Y AID ■ ■ 

doing good, teaching the laws of health, "healing all 
manner of diseases/' and even raising the so-called 
dead to life. He directed his followers to "Go into 
all the world and preach the gospel to the whole crea- 
tion, saying : "And these signs shall follow them that 
believe : in My name shall they cast out demons ; they 
shall speak with new tongues ; they shall take up ser- 
pents, and if they drink any deadly thing it shall in no 
wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and 
they shall recover. * * * And they went forth and 
preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, 
and confirming the word by the signs that followed/' — 
Mark, R. V. 

This Christ-established method of healing "all man- 
ner of disease/' casting out the demons of lust, intem- 
perance and every "unclean spirit," and attaining that 
perfection of health which stands secure above the 
power of any contagion, and the most deadly poisons, 
was successfully carried out in the primitive church, 
and has been also to a great degree by a faithful few 
■who, in all the centuries from that day to this, have 
•been true to the teachings of the Spirit. Time and 
again I have been assured by Roman Catholic clergy- 
men that the power of healing by prayer was thor- 
oughly understood in the church, but that it was only 
on very rare occasions it was used, and even through 
the mediumship of the officiating clergyman. What 
they attributed to the religion was simply the Spirit 
working through an organism that could be used for 
the purpose of healing. In Boston a number of Protes- 
tant clergymen have taken up the subject and accord- 
ing to newspaper reports they are meeting with con- 
siderable success ; so it looks as if Mrs. Eddy and her 
"Science" will not be permitted to enjoy a monopoly 
of healing the body by manipulating the soul. 

Spiritualists have in their ranks more successful 



TIMELY AID 187 

healers than can be found in any of the other religions,. 
due in great measure to the thorough rapport they 
establish with the spirit world. Among those gifted 
with the power of curing all manner of diseases I will 
only mention a few, among them being the late Doctor 
J. R. Newton, who even now is aiding humanity 
through the instrumentality of his good wife. Doctor 
W. C. Crockett of Boston and Abby Cutter of Onset, 
who did so much to cure and relieve the sufferings of 
her fellow creatures during her sojourn on earth, and 
like Doctor Newton is at the present time continuing 
her good work with the aid of mediumistic healers on 
the plane of mortal existence. 

It must not be inferred that the world of today is 
without healing mediums as gifted as any of those who* 
have gone before, and if proof of this statement is 
demanded I can point to Mme. Susse, of 161 West 80th 
Street, New York City, who has effected as many cures 
and under as difficult conditions as did any of her 
more famous predecessors. Mme. Susse is a most 
devoted Spiritualist and is in almost continuous com- 
munion with the heavenly hosts. Among her controls 
are Doctors Newton, Rush, Hanneman and Abby Cut- 
ter. I need hardly inform you that it is only in the 
last extremity spirit doctors are called in and then as 
a last resource, regular practitioners having abandoned 
the case as hopeless. Well, even under those adverse 
circumstances, Mme. Susse has performed wonderful 
cures and one that came under my immediate notice is 
worth recording. A certain lady, a dear friend of mine, 
was about to undergo an operation which would entail 
a great deal of suffering and possibly be attended by 
fatal results. Being a Spiritualist she consulted her 
disembodied friends as to what she should do and they 
unhestitatingly instructed hereto submit her case to 
Mme. Susse, who would relieve her from all pain and 



188 TIMELY AID 

danger and that without the aid of drugs or scalpel. 
This she did and now she is a perfectly healthy woman 
whose cure was brought about entirely by spirit power 
under the auspices of Mme. Susse's guides. 

Flesh and sense, when subordinated to the Spirit 
within, become amenable to the developed soul of a 
medium such as is Mme. Susse, and already her fame 
as a healer is spreading rapidly throughout the country, 
and justly so; for in addition to the curative qualities 
of her mediumship she is a lady of refinement and 
worth and stands for all that is best, purest and most 
advanced in genuine spiritual science. 

Mrs. M. E. Williams. 

26 Wright St., Stapleton, Staten Island, N. Y. 



